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THE 



Star of the West; 

BEING 

MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE 



RI8DON DARRACOTT, 

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, 

AT WELLLYGTON, SOMERSET, 

WITH 
IXTRACTS FROM HIS CORRESPONDENCE. 



BY JAMES BENNETT. 



FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. 



< 



BROOKFIELD, MASS. 

K. AND G. MERRIAM5 PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS. 
1829. 



/SZf 



PREFACE. 



It was not without considerable hesita- 
tion, that the Author ventured to present 
these Memoirs to the public eye. He 
had, indeed, often perused the documents 
with the most desirable emotions, and 
wished them introduced to more general 
notice ; but he always anticipated the 
question, why obtrude upon the public, 
the Memoirs of a man who has slumbered 
among the dead more than half a century ? 

Those who have recently entered into 
their rest, still live in the remembrance of 
many surviving fellow-labourers ; and it is 
in the breasts of those, who already know 
something of a man, that we expect to 
find a curiosity to know more. But, the 
contemporaries of Risdon Darracott, who 
would have caught eagerly at his Memoirs, 
and promoted their circulation among 
friends, have long since gone to join him, 



IV 

where the pages of biography are neither 
read nor needed. And now that another 
generation has risen up who knew him 
not, what hope can be indulged of attract- 
ing any considerable attention to the mem- 
ory of one, so long gone by in the proces- 
sion of ages, as to have left scarcely any 
that can recal his image ? 

For, it is not pretended that the subject 
of these Memoirs was a Luther or Calvin 
in the church, confined to no cUme, and 
claimed by every age. The distinguished 
men, who have created a new sera in reli- 
gion, may be recalled to notice at any time, 
and can always justify the interest which 
they never fail to excite. But the history 
of those who filled a narrower circle during 
life, must be recorded immediately after 
death, or the world will refuse to listen to 
the instruction which they may be able to 
afford. 

Sometimes, indeed, the powers of the 
biographer may supply the deficiencies of 
his theme, and attract attention to the pic- 
ture, whose original would be despised. 
As in the life of Savage, we value only 
the pen of Johnson. But though the bi- 
ographer of Darracott, pretends to no such 
powers, while he questions the propriety 
of extorting attentions to which the subject 
has no just claims, he has been induced by 



the force of various considerations, to print 
the following Memoirs. 

The papers from v/hich the volume is 
compiled, have long been preserved in the 
family of the deceased, as precious relics. 
Frequently presented to the eye of friend- 
ship, they have furnished the employment 
of many interesting hours, and proved the 
source of the most sacred pleasures. It 
was owned by all, that they furnish such a 
picture of a heart devoted to the divine glo- 
rv, a life consumed in most successful evan- 
gelical labours, and a death pre-eminently 
distinguished by holy triumphs, that it was 
scarcely less than a duty to draw them from 
obscurity, and prevent their passing unim- 
proved into oblivion. 

Since Christians feel, to their cost, how 
much they are affected by the spirit and 
conduct of the living w^orld around them ; 
should we not endeavour to furnish an anti- 
dote to the poison, by calling up even those 
who have been long dead, that we may live 
in the circle of those who instruct by their 
superior wisdom, inspire esteem for their 
character, and stimulate to imitation of their 
conduct ? Whenever the God of all grace 
indulges the world with distinguished spe- 
cimens of religion, we should study to per- 
petuate their usefulness beyond the narrow 
limits of their mortal race. And though it 
is to be regretted, that Risdon Darracott 
1* 



VI 

had not found a biographer among his con- 
temporaries, who would have enjoyed su- 
perior opportunities of extending and pro- 
longing his influence ; it may be hoped, as 
truth and hoHness are immutable, that ex- 
cellencies such as are here exhibited, will 
still find their sympathies in the hearts of 
Christians, and even now rouse to sacred 
emulation. For it is presumed, that few 
pious persons will rise from the perusal of 
these Memoirs, without feeling their humil- 
ity increased by the consciousness of infe- 
riority, or their zeal inflamed by the sight of 
superior ardour. 

If the work was to be attempted, the 
connexion of the Author with the family 
of the deceased, seemed to impose on him 
the duty ; as, by marrying the granddaugh- 
ter of Mr. Darracott, he has come into pos- 
session of the documents from which the 
volume is compiled. That he has yielded 
to the force of the considerations which in- 
duced the attempt, he is forbidden to re- 
gret; whatever reception these Memoirs 
may obtain from the public For it has 
proved a privilege to hold converse with 
the pious dead. 

Should the perusal of this volume afford 
to each reader but a moiety of the edifica- 
tion and delight they have afforded to the 
compiler, they will prove one of the most 
valuable opportunities of usefulness with 



Vll 



which he has been hidulged. Of this he 
would not despair. For though some part 
of the happy impressions produced, may- 
have arisen from the sight of manuscripts, 
so tinged with age as to recal the memory 
of those who have been long at rest, or 
written with a tremulous hand on the eve of 
a triumphant death ; the principal source of 
emotions which rendered the compilation 
of the volume a devotional exercise, was 
the divine sentiments, the holy tempers, the 
heavenly anticipations, expressed by Mr. 
Darracott, or his friends. May these be 
copied into the reader's breast ! 

If, in addition to the reasons why the 
Author has written, it be expected that a 
preface will contain the summary of what 
the reader may expect to find, this may be 
told in one word — religion. Risdon Dar- 
racott was not a man of the world, whose 
Memoirs will increase our acquaintance 
with the history of his country or age : he 
passed through this world as a pilgrim to 
a better, and paid no more attention to the 
affairs of earth than was demanded by his 
allegiance to heaven. But as religion has 
a world of its own, he was, in the noblest 
sense, a citizen of the world. 

In a contracted sphere, he possessed an 
enlarged heart, which took a lively interest 
in the concerns of the Redeemer's king- 
dom, wherever it was established, and in- 



Vlll 



troduced him to acquaintance and corres- 
pondence with those whose praise is in all 
the churches. Doddridge, Whitefield, Her- 
vey, the late Countess Dowager of Hunt- 
ingdon, Dr. Gillies of Glasgow, Mr. Walk- 
er of Truro, and Joseph Williams of Kid- 
derminster, persons dear to the memory of 
catholic Christians, were the friends of his 
bosom ; though several of them he never 
saw, till he met them among disembodied 
spirits. Those eminent persons have often 
been exhibited in their own Memoirs, and 
they were worthy to form distinct pictures ; 
but here, we may still further increase our 
acquaintance with them, by viewing them 
in the group of their coadjutors in that no- 
ble w^ork to which thej^ consecrated their 
days. 

But, from the different communions to 
which the correspondents of Darracott be- 
longed, it will be manifest that the zeal of 
the sectarian, who can see no religion out 
of his own pale, will not be gratified with 
this Memoir. Darracott maintained, in- 
deed, with the firmness of a superior mind, 
that form of Christianity which appeared to 
him most agreeable to its Great Author ; 
but he was too good-tempered for a bigot, 
and too devotional to be engrossed by any 
but the vital principles of religion. 

Associations of Christians which require 
a sacrifice of their distinguishing principles, 



ix 

are equally disgraceful to all the parties 
concerned ; but co-operation among diffe- 
rent communions on general principles, to 
promote the grand objects hi which they 
are all agreed, has peculiar charms. Such 
associations form the honourable distinction 
of the present age. This volume, howev- 
er, exhibits the operation of the same spir- 
it, though upon a smaller scale. We are 
but perfecting what Darracott and his con- 
temporaries began. As other men have 
laboured, and we have entered into their 
labours ; may it be ours to improve to the 
utmost, the advantages we derive from 
their catholic zeal ! 

There are occasions on which we are 
peculiarly called to sacrifice to truth, and 
others on which we should pay our vows to 
charity. The two are indeed harmonious, 
like the inhabitants of the heaven from 
which they descend. For '' charity rejoic- 
eth in the truth." But while it is often our 
sacred duty to contend earnestly for the 
best form of godliness, it is equally incum- 
bent on all Christians, to seize every oppor- 
tunity for displaying the power of it unin- 
cumbered with the distinctions which arise 
from the weaknesses of men. That the 
Memoirs of Risdon Darracott should exhi- 
bit Christianity in this pure uncoloured 
light, will appear unquestionable to every 
reader of discernment* This conviction in 



the mind of the writer, has induced him to 
pass over one minor occurrence, in which, 
though Mr. Darracott would have appeared 
to advantage, his opponents would have 
been placed in a shade that would displease 
those who now adopt their views, and 
whom it was the author's wish not to irritate 
but to edify. 

There are those who expect to find the 
records of genius or literature, in the me- 
moirs of an eminent minister of religion ; 
but they are here apprized, that Risdon 
Darracott never aspired to rank among the 
literati of his age. His papers furnish no 
fragments of mental project, no correspon- 
dence with the candidates for literary fame- 
To express, in the simplest language, the 
thoughts which claim nearer affinity to the 
heart than the head, was all his aim ; and 
solicitous only to fill heaven with the tri- 
umphs of the Redeemer, he was satisfied 
that his own record was on high. 

This, however, will but render his Me- 
moirs more generally useful. It must be 
the lot of by far the greater number of 
ministers, to imitate those Apostles, who 
consumed their lives in preaching;, and left 
no written instructions to the church. And 
he who should here learn to secure an apos- 
tle's reward, may cheerfully resign an au- 
thor's fame. 

The second edition of these Memoirs, 



XI 

which has been unexpectedly demanded, 
is now presented to the public, with grate- 
ful acknowleduments to the Author of all 
Good, for the improvement and delight 
which many have declared themselves to 
have derived from the work. Thus en- 
couraged, the Author has determined to en- 
large the biography so far, as to fill the vol- 
ume without the addition of Mr Darra- 
cott's Scripture Marks of Salvation, 
which accompanied the first edition of 
the Memoirs. Those Marks, however, 
with the Editor's ISotes, being equally 
demanded, are reprinted in a form that 
will admit of their being bound up with 
the Life, should any one wish to preserve 
them in one volume. 

The enlargement of the present edition 
has arisen partly from the insertion of ad- 
ditional information concerning Mr. Dar- 
racott and his friends, and pertly also from 
the expansion deemed necessary to place 
some circumstances, previously glanced at, 
in a more conspicuous and useful point of 
light. 

The correspondence between Mr. Dar- 
racott and his friends, which might have 
been swelled to a far larger extent, was in 
the former edition much contracted, in or- 
der to keep the volume within the size and 
price most calculated to promote its circu- 
lation. 



xu 

But, in deference to the judgments of 
iSome valued friends, who had expressed 
much pleasure in that part of the work, it 
is now extended by the addition of several 
letters, and by the insertion of paragraphs 
of others, formerly suppressed for want of 
room. In its present form, the work is de- 
voted with reiterated vows to the service 
of Him, who has already deigned to hon- 
our it with His smiles. 



MEMOIRS, &C. 



CHAPTER I. 



MR. DARRACOTT S ANCESTRY AND BIRTH. 

For Christians to sigh after the honours of 
heraldry is not ambition, but meanness ; since 
they can claim more than noble or regal descent, 
being born not of blood, but of God. As, how- 
ever, the eternal King, the fountain of honour, 
extends his favour to the seed of those who 
serve him, calling Israel a people near to him, 
and assigning this reason, " ye are the seed of 
x\braham, my friend ^" it would be ingratitude 
and impiety to throw away honours so sacred, 
conferred by such a hand. Nor can a Christian 
look to the general assembly of the spirits of 
just men made perfect, and behold there a long 
line of ancestors who have served God with dis- 
2 



14 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

tinguished devotion, without feeling himself ex- 
alted by the relation, stimulated by their exam- 
ple, and borne on their wings to heaven. 

It would, therefore, be injustice to the memory 
of Risdon Darracott, and an injury to the ii>- 
terests of religion, not to claim for him the 
honours of which an apostle reminded Timothy, 
«« that his mother and grandmother were holy 
women, in whom dwelt the unfeigned faith of 
God's elect." The subject of the following pages 
might, indeed, trace his pious ancestry still far- 
ther back ; for his great grandfather by the 
mother's side was a confessor in the cause of 
religion, during the reign of Charles the first. 
Abhorring the ceremonies introduced by Arch- 
bishop Laud into the establishment of his native 
country, he joined with those who ventured 
across the Atlantic, to bury themselves in the 
woods of America. «' The sun," said these 
voluntary exiles for religion's sake, " shines as 
pleasantly on America as on Britain ; the same 
providence that has guarded us here watches 
over that country j and why should we hesitate 
to adopt as our parent a country which would 
afford us liberty of religion, when our own has 
proved to us a stepmother?" It required, how- 
ever, all the force of principle, expressed in this 
sentence with the eloquence of truth and feeling, 
to rouse the puritans to such a measure. For 
the improvements of navigation had not yet di- 
minished the dangers of the voyage, and the 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 15 

American savages^ who still excite horror, were 
at that time tenfold more formidable. 

In that desert w^orld the ancestor of Mr. 
Darracott was blessed with a daughter ; who was 
born in the year 1654, and named Hannah. 
Though it must have been painful to parents 
who had been accustomed to the comforts of 
England, to see a daughter growing up amidst 
the wilds of America^ the puritans and their 
wives preferred rearing their children to pure 
religion, under every privation, to infecting them 
with the contagion of superstition for the sake of 
the elegant luxuries of life. It cannot, however, 
be ascertained whether these good old confessors 
died in their voluntary exile, or returned with 
their child to end their days in England. 

Their American daughter, indeed, became a 
resident in the native country of her ancestors ; 
for she was married to Philip Risdon, of Bidde- 
ford, in Devonshire, from whom the subject of 
the following memoir derived his baptismal name. 
The title of generous gentleman, given to Mr. 
Risdon, in ancient documents, is an indication of 
what may be called a man of family, raised above 
the necessity of labour, or trade ; for the fashion 
of giving titles to those who are supported by 
industry was not then know^n. Mr. Risdon's 
attachment to pure religion brought him ac- 
quainted with the daughter of the refugee, who 
had preferred a good conscience to the comforts 
of his native land. In her, therefore, he possessed 
ft companion of kindred soul ; for she inherited 



16 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

her father's pious sentiments and heroic spirit* 
And in him the emigrant family found the fulfil- 
ment of the Redeemer's promise : '« There is no 
man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, 
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or 
lands, for my sake and the Gospel's ; but he 
shall receive a hundred fold, now in this time, 
houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, 
and children, and lands." 

One daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Risdon 
in 1693, whom they named Hannah, after her 
mother. Upon her, life opened with a more 
auspicious dawn than upon her maternal ances- 
tors ; for she was not only born in Britain, but 
under the tolerant reign of William, who had 
now terminated the religious persecutions which 
formerly desolated our country, and drove many 
of its inhabitants into foreign lands. Mr. Risdon 
died too early to see his daughter settled in life, 
leaving his mourning relict with her only child, 
as the solace of her widowhood. 

When Miss Risdon came of age in 1714, she 
was given in marriage to Richard Darracott, at 
that time the dissenting minister of Swanage, 
in Dorsetshire. This was one of the numerous 
host who have verified the poet's beautiful 
stanza : 

"Full many a gem of brightest ray serene, 
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear, 
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 

The Darracotts, as well as the Risdons, were 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 17 

ancient residents of Biddeford, in Devon. The 
guildhall of that town is said to contain the por- 
traits of Mr. Darracott's ancestors, who are re- 
corded with honour among the mayors of Bid- 
deford. From this his paternal line, the sub- 
ject of the following pages was entitled to an 
estate, which, however, he never possessed. 

Pvichard Darracott, like Moses, learned in all 
the wisdom of the world, and fit to shine in 
courts, preferred affliction with the people of 
God ; for, retiring to feed the flock of God, he 
spent his days watching over a handful of plain 
people in an obscure country town. When the 
writer of this memoir walked through the town 
of Swanage, almost as retired as the quarries by 
which it is surrounded ; entered the singularly 
antiquated little meeting-house where the faith- 
ful pastor preached ; and approached the ashlar 
cottage on the hill where the good man lived, he 
could not help calling to mind the happy hours 
employed in reading the records of his wisdom 
and piety, and saying to himself, '^ was this all 
that the world could aftbrd such a man ?" But 
thus the friends of God have been treated in a 
world at enmity with him. They '' wandered 
in sheep skins and goat skins, in deserts and 
caves of the earth, being destitute, afflicted, tor- 
mented, of whom the world was not worthy." 

Neither the obscurity of the situation, how- 
ever, nor the smallness of his charge, ever gen- 
erated in the mind of Richard Darracott the lazy 
arrogant conceit, that his callow thoughts were 
2^ 



18 MEM0IR9 OF DA.RRACOTT. 

good enough for his audience. With great care 
he prepared, not only for the pulpit, where he 
might sometimes expect to address strangers 
attracted by his talents, but also for those 
private meetings of the members of the church, 
held after the Lord's supper, from which all 
strangers w^ere excluded. The notes of the 
addresses he delivered on these occasions, when 
the pastor usually pours out the fulness of his 
heart, without any attempt to shine, excite the 
highest ideas of his intellectual powers, and of 
the solicitude with w^hich he studied on every 
occasion to promote the edification of his flock. 
A minister could not read them without feeling 
reproved, or without saying, " if such w^ere his 
most familiar exhortations to a little company of 
Christians in a vestry, what would have been his 
exertions to instruct and save the multitudes 
whom we are frequently called to address ?"^ 



* From a volume of these addresses now lying before him, the 
author cannot refrain from giving a few ex'.racts, as a specimen of 
the manner in which some obscure dissenting ministers were era- 
ployed in feeding their flocks a hundred years ago — 
" My friends, 

" Meeting together thus in private, while others are at their 
trades, we declare that we are not of this world, but are pilgrims 
travelling to a better. Heaven is a Christian's proper home and 
country. He is born from above, his conversation is in heaven, 
his eternal habitation is there, his head and Lord there, his best 
friends and kindred there. At such seasons as these, he meets his 
country folks to talk about his home, his fellow-travellers to 
animate each other in their heavenly march. W^e now meet our 
Lord : for in this private place, I am reminded of the sweet 
passage. Canticles vii. 11. where the church desires to go forth to 
fields and villages, to walk with Christ, to receive counsel, instruc- 
tion, and comfort from him, with freedom, and without interrup- 
tion. Those that would converse with Christ must escape from 
the hurries of the world, to attend upon the Lord without distrac- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 19^ 

Well might these fathers of the dissent protest 
that they did not serve God with what cost them 
nought, nor supply the lamps of his sanctuary 
with unbeaten oil. They took alarm at the voice 
that saith, " Cursed be he that doeth the work of 
the Lord negligently." They teach us what 



tion. " Isaac went out into the fields at evening to meditate." 
Here we may meditate on the grace that hath made us to diflfer 
from the rest of the world. Not in outward condition, here all 
things come alike to all. Is David rich ? so is Nabal. If Joseph 
is favoured of his prince, so is Haman too. Was wicked Ahab 
killed in battle ? so was good Josiah. But with regard to our 
better part, the inward peace of the soul, how hath our God dis- 
tinguished us ! A good man can look every way with comfort, 
but the sinner, if his reason were not blinded, wouM always be 
in Belshazzar's trembling fit. 

"1. If they look dovmward. A Christian can take a view of 
the grave with comfort. It is only a resting place for his flesh. 
Death has no sting to his spirit. It is but putting off his clothes, 
or taking a journey. A stile or two more, and I am at my father's 
bouse, amid my treasures, friends, and relations. 'Tis but winking, 
Jind I am in heaven. But if the sinner looks down, there is, Jii^st, 
a dismal grave to receive his pampered sinful body. A mighty 
change from former indulgences, — the bed of down changed into 
1 bed of dirt and putrefaction, and, shortly after, into a bed of 
flames ; for when he looks lower, he sees, secondly, a dreadful 
iiell opening for him, devils gaping for him. He dares not die, he 
:;annot live. 

^' 2. If they look backivard. The believer says, with Paul, 
j'* I have fought the good fight," or with Hezekiah, "remember 
low I have walked before thee in truth." But ah ! the sinner 
3ares not look back at all. He would dread to have God remem- 
3er how he has walked. For he now remembers his swarms of 
i^ile thoughts, the many hard speeches which he has uttered against 
the ways and people of God. 

" 3. They look forward with different views. The Christian 
ivith comfort and boldness to the day of judgment, the second 
:oming of Christ. IJe says, " come. Lord Jesus, come quickly." 
But the sinner is described by Christ, when he says, " men's hearts 
ihall fail them for fear, and for looking for those things which 
ire coming upon them. For -when he sees the Saviour that once 
vooed him, coming in flames of fire to judge him, whither shall 
le fly? tremendum Dei judicium. 

'*j4. See the difference between the righteous and the wicked, 



so MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

vigorous thought and intense feeling should dis- 
tinguish the discourses, delivered in the name of 
Jesus, on eternal things. 

In this retired, contracted sphere, Richard Dar- 
racott found in Miss Risdon such a partner as 
would make any situation pleasant. Inheriting, 
with undiminished force, the spirit of martyrdom 
which had induced her mother's father to emi- 
grate to the new world ; she cheerfully took up 
her abode at Swanage, where her fine talents, 
cultivated by her father's care, rendered her a fit 
companion for a man adapted to more polished 
society than his flock could furnish. 

Mrs. Risdon was much gratified by her daugh- 
ter's union to a man, eminently devoted to the 
cause for which her father had suffered exile ; 
and, as the young couple constituted all that was 
dearest to her in life, she determined to accom- 
pany her daughter to her residence, and fix her 
home in their humble dwelling. Here she had the 
happiness to see Mrs. Darracott present her hus- 
band with a daughter, who was, early in life, 
married to Mr. Isaac Clark, a dissenting minister 
at Bow, in Devonshire. Shortly before the birth 
of her next child, Mrs. Darracott was called to 



when they look upward. The Christian hfts up his head because 
his redemption draweth nigh. They see their crown, iheir trea- 
sure, in heaven, and their hearts leap for joy. It now makes their 
hearts beat gladly, how muc!i more when just entering into pos- 
Bession. When the sinner looks upward, he sees a heaven that 
denies him admittance. The jiid^e says, "I know you not." 
There is an angry God, whose face is a flaming fire against thee 
though it smiles on thy pious neighbour." 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 21 

the painful task of committing to the grave the 
remains of her beloved mother, who was then in 
her sixty-third year. 

It is probable that the pangs of this separation 
contributed to hasten her own end ; for from this 
time she drooped, and this lily of the valley was 
destined to be soon transplanted to the bowers of 
Paradise. Within a few weeks, she followed her 
parent to the grave, having died in child-bed, 
shortly after giving birth to the subject of these 
memoirs. Could she have foreseen what would 
be the character of her son, she would gladly 
have sacrificed life to bless the cause of Christ, 
which she loved better than life, with such a 
minister. But, without this additional motive, 
her heavenly mind enabled her cheerfully to re- 
sign the husband of her youth, and the infant 
fruits of their love, to depart and be with Christ, 
which, with the Apostle, she pronounced *« far 
better." She died in 1716, in the twenty-fourth 
year of her age. The remains of the mother 
and daughter are deposited in the same tomb, 
near the door of the established place of worship, 
in Swanage.* Lovely and pleasant were they, 
in life, and in death they were not divided. A 



♦At this place, about twenty years ago, preached a gay young 
clergyman ; who, passing by the house of one of Mr, Darracott's 
former flock, and overhearing him at family prayer, on the 
eveninu of the Lord's day, took the liberty of violently kicking at 
the door, to disturb the family in its worship. When questioned 
concerning Wis conduct, the reason he assigned was, that he 
thought the family were a set of Methodists, and he would have 
all such people rooted up. But the reader will now rejoice io- 



22 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 



grey Stone, much worn by the foot of the 
passenger, exhibits the following appearance 
and inscription : — 



In this Tomb, lies the Body of 

Hamnah, Wife of 

R. DARRACOTT, in this 

Parish of Swanage, 

Minister of the Word of God. 

She, filled with Graces 

and 

adorned with rare Abilities, 

at the 

COMMAND OF GOD, 

forsook her 

Husband and her Infants, 

to fly to Heaven, 

on the 

Tenth of February, 

;«*v,o,Toar S ofSalvation 1716. 

»"^^®y'^'lofherage24. 



In this Tomb, also lies the Body 
of Hannah, the Mother 
of the aforesaid Hannah. 

She v/as born 

IN NEW ENGLAND ; 

whitlier for 

tf)e Scifee of lttliBion> 

her Father had fled. 

She was married 

to Philipp Risdon, Gent. 

at BiDDEFORD. 

She came hither with 

her Daughter, and in a 

short time put oflf MortalitTj 

on the Third of January, 

. ,, < of Salvation 1716. 

mtheyear|^^j^^^^g^g3^ 



Mr. Darracott had now passed through the 
flowery part of his path, for all the rest was 
thickly set with thorns. The recollection of his 
short-lived domestic bliss was rendered more 



learn, that the pastor of the congregation received, a year or two 
after, the following letter from the same clergyman. 
Dear Sir, 
I have had the iinspeakahle happiness to have my views 
entirely chfingred, with resjard to the relirrions sentiments I 
preached at Swanaore. I, who once persecuted the truth as it is 
in Jesua, now preach it. Indeed, Sir, I do not deceive you. 
Jesus Christ has wonderfully revealed himself to mv soul. — I am 
a brand plucked from the fire. — I am a monument of divine love. — 
I reject the doctrine of heathen morality I preached at Swanage, 
and elsewhere. I preach nothing now but the everlasting gospel of 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 23 

painful, by the sight of the babes who were de- 
prived of their mother at that period of life, 
which most needs a mother's care ; and when he 
sought to supply that loss by a second marriage, 
he plunged into an abyss of woes. For, after 
remaining some years in a widowed state, having 
determined to marry again, he fixed his affections 
on one who had first attracted his notice, by the 
appearance of eminent religion. 

His former partner was a woman of such 
excellencies, as would have eclipsed the charms 
of most others ; but Mr. Darracott remembered 
her with regrets more poignant, in consequence of 
the perfect contrast between her and his second 
wife. He hoped, indeed, to have found one of 
kindred spirit : but w^as soon alarmed by the dis- 
covery of her hatred to the piety of which his 
heart was the altar and his house the temple. 
On remonstrating with her, and asking, '^ did I 



Je8U3 Christ ; and in this letter, I tell the people of Swanage, I have 
built them upon their own righteousness; but now declare, there is 
no hope but in a Saviour alone — I have the interest of my Saviour 
warm at heart, and the Icve of God abundantly shed abroad in me. 
May God keep my heart warm and animated in his cause and glory. 
As I believe you preach the Gospel, I write to you and acknow- 
ledge I have done an injury to you, and your people, and the 
cause of Christ at Swanage. I entreat your pardon, I did it in 
ignorance and unbelief And now, my conscience will not be 
easy till I have confessed this. 

And I am not ashamed to confess it to you, to them, and all the 
world. 1 b<^g pardon, also, of an old Gentleman in your Society, 
whose door I violently assaulted, while at prayers in his own house. 

May the Lord prosper the cause of Christ at Swanage, and all 
the peoolc of God there ; and prosper you in all your welNmeank 
undertakings. My brotherly love to all, that love our Lord Jesus 
Christ ia sincerity. 

Your unworthy, but labouring Servant in the Gospel. 



24 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

not witness your secret retirement for devotion 
before I married you ? and had I not reason to 
think that religion was your element and delight ?" 
he received a reply which went as a dagger to his 
heart : " The greater hypocrite was I ; for it was 
all done to gain you." 

It must be perfectly unnecessary to say, that 
such an explanation blasted all prospect of do- 
mestic felicity. For as religious hypocrisy is an 
attempt to put a trick upon omniscience, it is 
most hateful to God, and operates by his just 
judgment as a deadly poison to the heart and 
conscience of the hypocrite. Whatever pains, 
therefore, this pious man might have been dis- 
posed to take for the conversion of the unhappy 
creature by whom he had been ensnared into a \ 
connexion fatal to his peace ; she soon proved 
that a good husband, won by guilty arts, will be- 
come hateful to female depravity. Forsaking 
the guide of her youth, and renouncing an hon- 
ourable connexion of which she was not worthy, 
she threw herself into the arms of a man fit for 
such fellowship of iniquity ; and after having 
slept in the bed of the adulterer, she lay down 
at death in a bed of thorns. 

Many interesting and instructive reflections 
are suggested by this event. The anguish which 
it must have occasioned to such a man as Mr. 
Darracott will excite the sympathy of every 
reader. It is, then, consoling to know that he 
was not tortured with the reflections of his own 
conscience, for rushing with his eyes open into a 



KEMOmS OF DARRACOTT. 25 

connexion forbidden by the divine word. To 
search the heart is not our prerogative, and 
therefore not our duty. He might confidently 
look up to him who sometimes sees fit to wound 
his servants in the tenderest place, but ever 
affords them consolation under the afflictions of 
his providence, and converts the severest trials 
into eternal blessings. Far difl^erent was the 
case of a minister, who was thus warned by an 
elderly female of his congregation against a con- 
nexion which he was about to form : '' I shall 
expect no blessing to attend your ministry from 
the time you take an enemy to Christ into your 
bosom." The event justified the premonition. 

It cannot now, indeed, be known with certain- 
ly, whether Mr. Darracott acted with all the cir- 
cumspection, which a connexion so important 
lemands. The affections are too often first 
;onsulted, and when they have become clamor- 
)us, they extort from the reluctant judgment a 
entence in their own favour. Such evidences 
ire then admitted, as on cool retrospection we 
)ronounce invalid. The concurrence of events 
vhich brought the objects together, the time of 
he first meeting, the very bias of the mind to- 
wards the union, are all adduced to prove the 
ivine designs in the affair ; so as to call off the 
adgment from consulting that infallible rule, 
•y which we are to try events and tempers, and 
know the will of heaven. 

This affliction which befel Mr. Darracott, fur- 
ishes, however, a solemn warning against all 
3 



26 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

dissimulation in religion, which may perhap? 
accomplish its object, but will certainly blast the 
enjoyment. Here we see an unhappy female 
succeed in winning the person with whom she 
was enamoured ; not perceiving, till it was too 
late, that a kindred disposition is essential to the 
happiness of life. Those who study to deserve, 
rather than to obtain, the object of "desire, are 
sure of success ; for icith the object they then 
have a blessing, and without it they find com- 
pensation in their own improvement. Young 
persons should learn from hence to abhor hypoc- 
risy, which poisons all the character, and by a 
thousand paths coirducts to misery ; while those 
who have the care of youth should be roused to 
warn them against disingenuousness, taking care 
never to aflbrd them the encouragement which 
they will usually take, if they can practise it with- 
out detection. 

But as we are here led to reflect, how limited 
are the means of discovering the real character 
of those with whom we are about to enter into 
the nearest relation of life, we should feel the 
truth of the scriptural maxim, that a good wife 
is from the Lord. Those who have succeeded 
in forming a happy union, which gives a cheerful 
colour to the whole of life, should gratefully ac- 
knowledge that they owe it, not to their own 
perspicacity, but to the divine goodness. The 
ministers of religion, who have peculiar need of 
pious partners, to whom they impart a i)ortion of 
their own public character, have peculiar cause 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 27 

to adore the kindness that leads them to a suita- 
ble companion. For a failure in this point, has 
blasted the usefulness of many an able man. 

When Mr. Darracott shook off the viper that 
stung him to the heart, he had the happiness of 
reflecting, that there were no children by this 
connexion to make the separation more difficult, 
and that his son and daughter by the former 
marriage were not now to be educated within 
the contagion of a wicked woman. His upright 
affectionate soul, formed for that sweetest solace 
of human life — domestic endearment, never en- 
tirely recovered from the shock ; for, what would 
to any man have been severe, is, to the minister 
of religion, peculiarly aggravated. It often ex- 
poses him to disadvantages in his private walk, 
and compels him to abstain from some subjects 
of great public interest. 

But it is not in the power of any foe to make 
a good man entirely wretched. The true sour- 
ces of bliss are too deep to be poisoned by the 
hand of the wicked. In communion with God, 
in the faithful discharge of pastoral duty, and in 
rearing his children for the service of Christ, 
Mr. Darracott experienced those consolations 
which soothed his pains. Nor was the time of 
trial long ; for he was called to enter into rest 
before he had completed his fortieth year. 

Before that period, however, he had removed 
to Chumleigh, in Devon. Whether this step was 
occasioned by his domestic affliction, or whether 



28 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. j 

it was taken with the hope of recovering his 
elasticity of mind by change of scene, cannot 
now be known ; but as we follow such a man to 
his last retreat, and to his tomb, we reflect with 
awe on the inscrutable counsels of Him, who 
puts the largest cup of affliction into the hands 
of those, whom he loves best. Blessed are they 
that mourn for they shall be comforted. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT 29 



CHAPTER II. 

FROM THE BIRTH OF MR. DARRACOTT TO HIS SET- 
TLEMENT AT WELLINGTON. 

SwANAGE, in the isle of Parbeck, on the sea 
coast of Dorsetshire, has been already pointed 
out as the birth-place of Mr. Darracott. The first 
of February, in the year 171^p was the day which 
gave to the world this child, who was the death 
of his mother, but afterwards became his father's 
comfort, under what was worse than the death 
of a beloved wife, the infamy of her successor. 
Risdon, his mother's maiden name, was given to 
him at his baptism by his afflicted surviving parent, 
who sought to perpetuate a name dear to him, 
when dedicating to God with sorrowful devotion 
the tender branch whose parent stock was cut 
down by the hand of death. Thus the good man, 
reminded that he himself was mortal, and that 
he might be soon called to leave his children 
orphans in the world, laying hold of the true 
refuge of the Christian parent, the covenant 
which God has made with his people and their 
seed after them, said, " Although my house be 
not so with God (as I could wish), yet hath he 
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered 
in all things and sure ; this is all my salvation 
3^ 



30 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

and all my desire, although he make me not to j 
grow." I 

When his son was about five years old, Mr. Dar- 1 
racott removed to Chumleigh, in Devonshire. In 
this town, where young Risdon received the first 
rudiments of learning under parental tuition, he 
afterwards consecrated to Christ the first labours 
of his ministry as his father's successor. Of his 
boyish days nothing is known worthy of record. 
It is believed that when his improvement created 
demands which the leisure of his father could 
not supply, he wasjplaced under the tuition of 
Mr. Palk, a dissenting minister of South Molton, 
in Devonshire. This good man, as an eminent 
schoolmaster in his day, was a blessing to the 
rising generation ; but it is to be regretted that 
it should ever be necessary for ministers to give 
themselves to any other employment but that of 
their ministry, which demands all their moments, 
all their talents, and all their souls. 

The estimation in which the master is said to 
have been held by all competent judges, joined 
to the talents which the pupil is known to have 
possessed, render it reasonable to presume that 
Risdon Darracott early acquired considerable 
proficiency in classical learning. But as he after- 
wards exclusively devoted his existence to ano- 
ther and a nobler pursuit, his compositions never 
betrayed that classical enthusiasm, never poured 
forth that learned lore, which usually marks the 
productions of those who have risen to eminence 
in elegant literature. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 31 

From school, young Darracott went, at about 
the age of fifteen, to a dissenting college to study 
for the ministry. The serious readers of his life 
will, therefore, now naturally look for an account 
of the commencement of his religion. Of this, 
however, none but very slight and defective re- 
cords remain. No doubt can be entertained of 
the divine blessing having so far accompanied 
the care of his pious father to train him up in the 
way in which he should go, that he never openly 
departed from it. His correct morals left him 
no reason to lament, with mtmy, the sins of his 
youth, and his early attention to the duties of 
religion, rendered it impossible for others to 
mark the period of his conversion. 

But the most early training, and the most skil- 
ful pruning, leave the nature of the tree unchanged* 
Nor was Mr. Darracott among the number of 
those who imagine that it is the privilege of such 
favoured youths as himself to be exempted from 
the necessity of regeneration. He ever incul- 
cated with the zeal of conviction, and the skill of 
experience, the doctrine of the new birth. Many 
will, therefore conclude, that as he entered upon 
a course of studies for the ministry as early as the 
fifteenth year of his life, he must have enjoyed 
the happy change before that period. For it will 
be said, surely a pious minister would not have 
devoted his son to preach the gospel to others, 
before it was ascertained that he had experienced 
its influence himself, and was called to the work 



32 MEMOIRS OF BARRACOTT* 

by that Redeemer whose sole prerogative it k to 
give to his church pastors and teachers. 

It must not, however, be unnoticed, that the 
first dissenters brought with them from the com- 
munion, from which they had but recently 
emerged, other ideas of entrance into the ministry. 
That sacred calling, charged with so awful re- 
sponsibilities, was too often chosen from no 
higher motives than predilection for a father's 
profession, fondness for literary pursuits, or a 
wish to favour a delicate constitution with ex- 
emption from secular labours. It is, therefore, 
difficult to ascertain whether Pvisdon Darracott 
experienced the vital change which produces 
true religion, before he went to the seminary for 
the ministry, or whether he founds while there, 
the inestimable blessing which he was professedly 
studying to proclaim to others. 

In the choice of a seminary for his son, Mr. 
Darracott was happily directed by the public 
voice to that over which Dr. Doddridge presided 
at Northampton. The academy exhibited at this 
time, indeed, the evil consequences of admitting 
young men to study for the ministry, before they 
had given sufficient evidence of their regenera- 
tion, or their call to the work. But the charac- 
ter of the tutor was, in the instance before us, a 
counterpoise to the evil ; for Doddridge proved 
an eminent blessing to his pupil. While in the 
seminary, young Darracott lost his father, but 
found another in his tutor. The affectionate 
heart of the doctor soon formed a strong attach- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 3S 

ment to the youth, in whom he perceived a soul 
panting for the noblest distinction. A humble 
diligence in his studies won the tutor's esteem, 
and inspired such hopes of future eminence as 
are supremely grateful to those who are formed 
for the education of youth. Some manuscript 
volumes, written at college, equally attest the 
ability of the instructor and the industry of the 
pupil. But it was the frankness of young Darra- 
cott's mind, the purity and strength of principle 
manifest in all his conduct, and the ardour of 
his devotion which so fixed the affections of 
Doddridge, as to induce him to say, '^ I hope 
this young friend will be the guardian of my w^id- 
ow^ and orphans, should 1 be called away by 
death." 

As there was a vast diversity of character 
among the students, the reader is prepared to 
hear that the subject of these memoirs took into 
his bosom those whose personal religion after- 
wards rendered them eminent among the faithful 
preachers of the gospel. Mr. Fawcett, who be- 
came successor to Baxter, at Kidderminster, said, 
when preaching Mr. Darracott's funeral sermon, 
that he looked back on their friendship formed 
at Northampton, and cemented by two and twen- 
ty year's continuance. The character of Mr. 
Pearsall, of Taunton, another of his early friends, 
serves also to mark the pious turn of Mr. Darra- 
cott's mind. 

If, indeed, Northampton w^as not the place of 
his new and better birth, it was while he was 



34 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTr. 

there, pursuing his studies for the ministry, that 
his religion blazed forth with that seraphic ar- 
dour which distinguished his future days. To 
this period of his life he ever after looked back 
with peculiar delight ; and, when on the verge of 
eternity, referring to it, he recommended to his 
children the service of that God whom he had 
served upwards of twenty years. Whether he 
conceived that his religion then commenced, or 
whether he thus referred to that era of his exist- 
ence, because his devotedness to God then be- 
came more decided, and, his studies drawing to 
a close, he began to serve God in the gospel of 
his Son, cannot now be ascertained. 

It is, however, upon the whole, probable, that 
the college of Northampton was young Darracott's 
new and better birth-place. Well might he look 
back upon that scene with grateful wonder ; for 
they who go to such institutions in a state of 
nature, are likely to leave them despisers of the 
grace of God. It is well, when the religion, 
which was previously possessed, is there pre- 
served uninjured. For the scriptures have 
warned us, that youth are in danger of being 
lifted up by admission into the office of the 
ministry, and thus falling into the snare of the 
devil ; while it is obvious, that classical studies, as 
well as constant intercourse with others who are 
in the high day of life, and the full flow of spirits, 
may lower the serious devotional tone of the mind. 
Happily, however, Risdon Darracott, instead of 
losing any portion of the religion he formerly 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 8§ 

had, found at Northampton, that which he before 
had not : so that instead of coming forth to teach 
a system of heathen ethics, or to preach a gospel 
of which he had no experience; he entered upon 
the exercise of his ministry, with all the sim- 
plicity of youthful feelings, and all the zeal, in- 
spired by mercy recently received. 

From this time, his heart declined every 
other distinction but that (which is indeed 
the loftiest) of being the devoted servant of Jesus 
Christ. He now form.ed some of those friend- 
ships with pious and distinguished persons be- 
yond the pale of his own communion, which 
were the honour and delight of his future 
days. 

While a student, he became the friend of 
Hervey, the author of the " Contemplations," 
and of " Theoron and Aspasio," a work, which, 
with all the faults imputed to it, has been honoured 
with extensive usefulness. The letters of Mr. 
Darracott to this young friend cannot be laid 
before the reader, as they were left in the hands 
to which they were sent ; but those of Hervey 
sufficiently indicate the devotional strain of the 
correspondence, which the following specimen 
will testify. It was written in answer to a letter 
consulting him on the formation of a religious 
society among the students. 

" Dear Sir, 
" I return you my heartiest thanks for your 
kind present, and kinder letter. The Lord make 



36 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

them as beneficial as they were acceptable unto 
me ! You tell me, my example has had a great 
and good influence upon you. Strange and glad 
tidings ! Amen ! Hallelujah ! Sure the principa- 
lities and powers in heavenly places will be filled 
with wonder and pleasing amazement ; will tune 
their highest and most triumphant strings, when 
they behold their immortal King vouchsafing to 
work, to carry on the cause of his Christ, by an 
unclean and sinful worm ! ^ 

" This cool morning, I took a walk, with a de- 
sign to consider the scheme which you are going 
to set on foot. My thoughts were all along at- 
tended with abasement and admiration, to per- | 
ceive you having recourse and consulting me, 
when you daily converse with gentlemen who are 
far my superiors in wisdom and knowledge : but, 
especially, since you have the happiness of living 
under the same roof with the judicious and de- 
vout doctor. Yet, sir, I fear I am one of those 
who, as the inspired apostle says, " are blind and 
cannot see far off." Nevertheless, since you 
press for my opinion, for the all-commanding 
sake of our Redeemer, I cannot, I dare not, 
withhold it. 

" I think then your proposal, as far as I can 
see into it, is very proper ; and if discreetly man- 
aged, and steadily persisted in, cannot fail of 
being advantageous to yourself and others. "It 
is not good that Man should be alone," said the 
Divine Beneficence at the beginning. And if 
company was a blessing, if it was requisite and 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 37 

necessary to complete man's happiness in Para- 
dise ; sure it is much more a blessing, much 
more requisite and necessary to complete his 
holiness in a degenerate and corrupt state. This 
seems to be evident for several reasons ; four of 
which at present occur to my mind. 

" 1. Because we are io^norant and short-sio^ht- 
ed, oftentimes unable to distinguish good from 
evil, or to discern the things that are excellent. 
But God is pleased to reveal to one what is con- 
cealed from another. So that in a multitude of 
counsellors there is w^isdom. 

«• 2. Because w^e are lovers and admirers of 
ourselves, unwilling to see our own errors, and 
therefore unlikely to amend them. Whereas our 
friends will, with a meek but impartial spirit, 
show us our faults. As a looking-glass that will 
not lie, they will fairly set before us all our 
blemishes. And may we not say with the wise 
man, '' In such faithful witnesses there is health." 
May I evermore have such friends, and I will 
value them more than a brother ! 

" 3. Because we are weak and irresolute ; 
easily shaken from the most laudable purposes, 
and apt to let go our integrity upon any opposi- 
tion. But a band of friends w^ho are like-mind- 
ed, inspires us with courage and constancy. If 
we have seconds and associates in our warfare, 
we are much more emboldened to persevere in 
fighting the good fight. ''A threefold cord is 
not quickly broken." 

^' 4. Because we are slothful and lukewarm in 
4 



38 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

religious duties, of a Laodicean temper, and apt 
like Gallio, " to care for no such things." But 
a holy fellowship will kindle and keep alive a 
holy fervour. As coals united and laid together 
burn and glow, but separate and single soon 
lose both their light and heat. How often have 
I gone into the company of my dear friends, list- 
less and spiritless, like one whose nerves were all 
unstrung ; yet when I came home, I have found 
myself quite .another person ; vigorous and ac- 
tive, sanguine and " zealously affected in good 
matters." This, no doubt, was the Lord's doing, 
and '' it is marvellous in our eyes." 

This, therefore, shows how mightily the 
Supreme Being is pleased with, and how sig- 
nally he blesses such assembling of ourselves 
together, which is another, and perhaps the best 
argument for executing the project you are 
debating upon. Methinks it is also an excellent 
means of enlarging our affections. We are prone, 
very prone to be straightened and contracted in 
our bowels. And I believe, a continual inter- 
change of friendly actions, and affectionate dis- 
courses, (which are necessary to keep up the 
society you mention,) is one of the best ways to 
strip ourselves of all ungenerous and unchristian 
selfishness ; one of the best ways of learning to 
" love as brethren, and to be dear unto one ano- 
ther as our own souls." 

" But I must have done, I find myself running 
beyond the bounds of an epistle ; nay, have I not 
tired your patience already ? I only beg of you 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 39 

to excuse my weakness and want of judgment, 
I hope you will not expose this to my prejudice, 
but hide and draw a veil over what I have writ- 
ten in meekness and fear. Pray let me know the 
issue of your deliberations. How glad should 1 
be to hear, that when you come together to 
advance the life and power of religion, you re- 
member and pray for 

" Your obliged friend, and humble servant, 

" J. Hervey." 
" Hardingstone^ June 3, 1736." 

This correspondence was equally honourable 
to both parties. It was to the praise of the 
student, that he was projecting pious schemes 
with ardent zeal, and consulting his seniors with 
profound humility. A humble zeal may be 
expected to last, like Darracott's, to the close of 
life ; but the ardour which disdains counsel, will 
prove like the momentary flash of gunpowder. 
To Hervey, it was highly honourable that he 
condescended to hold the correspondence of 
friendship with the youth, who was just learning 
to serve God, in the Gospel of his dear Son. 
Such kind attentions, may not only encourage a 
modest youth, but may through him, prove a 
blessing to thousands ; for, nineteen years after, 
Mr. Darracott sent Mr. Hervey's letter to a 
Christian friend, accompanied with the following 
remarks. 

" This is the first letter I received, as I re- 
member, from Mr. Hervey. A little before this, 



40 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

I had an interview with him at a good man's 
house, who belonged to the Doctor's church, and 
lived in the parish. Mr. Hervey's father lived 
about two miles from Northampton. Though it is 
now almost nineteen years ago, I retain a de- 
lightful impression of our converse then. I was 
at this time forming a religious society in North- 
ampton, which I communicated in a letter to 
Mr. Hervey : this is his answer, and contains a 
few cogent arguments to recommend it. I bless 
God I then began to taste the pleasure David 
speaks of, when he says, " we took sweet coun- 
sel together," and must bear it upon record that 
some of the most delightful hours of my life 
have been those spent in social exercises, I am 
glad you have formed yourselves together to this 
purpose, and send you this to encoufage you 
herein, and may every time you meet furnish 
you with the best arguments, even your own 
experience of the comfort and advantage of it. 

^' RisDON Darracott." 

'' Remember me kindly to every member of 
your society, my heart is with you, my prayers 
for you, may you increase, both in number and 
grace, and be of one heart and one soul." 

Burning to enter upon the delightful w^ork of 
preaching Christ, Mr. Darracott commenced his 
labours in a village near Northampton. Here 
the barbarous spirit of persecution which formerly 
so disgraced our country, and now occasionally 
bursts forth from the cold formal pretenders to 
pharasaic righteousness, as flames from the snow- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 41 

clad crater of a volcano scarcely yet extinguished, 
gave our young evangelist a specimen of the 
trials which he was about to endure. The house 
in which he was preaching was beset by the 
village mob, with imprecations demanding the 
preacher, in hopes of being gratified by wreaking 
their vengeance on the disturber of their fatal 
peace. His hearers, however, befriended him, 
and while the rioters were breaking in on one 
side of the house, they handed him through a 
w^indow on the other ; thus he escaped, like Paul 
let down in a basket from the wall of Damascus. 
On application to the magistrates, who were 
then sitting in the neighbourhood, he found that 
instead of affording redress and protection, they 
were disposed only to gratify their ow^n prejudices 
and bigotry, in defiance of the laws which they 
had sworn to execute, and to the hazard of the 
public peace which they were appointed to pre- 
serve. By this and some other circumstances, it 
appeared that the mob was encouraged by those 
whose education should have elevated them above 
vulgar prejudice, if their religion had not purified 
them from selfish and malignant passions. It is, 
however, pleasing to reflect, that while the 
superior zeal of Christians in the present day 
more frequently provokes the spirit of prosecu- 
tion, these disgusting ebulitions of barbarism 
now excite horror by their rarity, as well as by 
their atrocity. 

To their gothic bigotry, young Darracott's 
philanthropic zeal furnished a fine contrast. It 
4* 



42 * MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

is delightful to behold in one that enters on the 
ministry, a soul all on fire ; for many are the cir- 
cumstances which conspire to quench the sacred 
flame, as we advance in life. Some few, indeed, 
enjoy the rare felicity of acquiring in advancing 
years more than the fires of youth ; but the ma- 
jority of christians, as they increase in wisdom 
and experience, abate somewhat of their youth- 
ful fervours. What a chilling sight, then, is a 
young minister without zeal ; for w^hat frosts may 
we expect in the w^intry age ? 

Mr. Darracott being, from this time, frequently 
employed in preaching, received the following 
licence, or testimony, from his tutor and two 
other ministers. 

August 22, 1737. 

" We, w^hose hands are hereunto subscribed, 
do certify all whom it may concern, that having 
examined Mr. Risdon Darracott concerning his 
proficiency in his studies, and being sufficiently 
assured of his unblamable conversation, judge 
liim to be well qualified to enter upon the office 
of preaching ; and do advise and encourage him 
to do so, recommending him to the divine bless- 
ing, and to the due regard of all Christian so- 
cieties that need and desire his assistance. Wit- 
ness our Hands. 

" J. Norris. 
' " T. Cartwright. 

" P. Doddridge, D. D,'' 

Such testimonials were formerly stamped with 
higher authority than is now attached to them by 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 43 

dissenters. They may be abused, but they are 
also calculated to answer a most valuable end. 
If stern authorit)^ formerly checked the liberty of 
prophesying, the neglect of due recommendation 
now exposes the churches to the intrusion of 
adventurers, without character, and without prin- 
ciple. 

From the academy, Mr. Darracott removed to 
Chumleigh, in the summer of the year 17 38, 
when he had just passed his majority. His father 
being now^ dead, and the church still destitute of 
a pastor, he went, not merely to visit his friends 
and wander over the scenes endeared by early 
association, but to enter upon the work of the 
ministry, of which he never for a moment lost 
sight. This must have been a sphere peculiarly 
interesting to him. Standing over his father's 
ashes, and leading the devotions of that church 
with which he had first learned to join in the 
worship of God, he laboured with much appro- 
bation, and not without some effect. But as the 
congregation was divided in its choice between 
him and another young minister, he determined 
to relinquish the advantages he possessed, and 
retiring, sought another field of usefulness. In 
this he affords a salutary lesson to those who are 
entering on the pastoral care. 

That the numbers who compose a Christian 
church, with all their diversity of ages, habits, 
and tastes, should frequently preclude the hope 
of perfect unanimity in the choice of a pastor, 
may be readily conceived. But where the mi- 



44 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

nority is considerable, either in numbers, or in 
weight and worth, a young man who comes 
fresh and immature from a seminary, should not 
feel surprised or wounded ; nor should he by any 
means conceive it due to his character and the 
solicitations of his admirers, to risk the peace of 
a church, by struggling to maintain his post. 
The church's separation ought to wound him 
much more than his own rejection. These 
divisions are sometimes, indeed, productive of the 
happiest consequences in the increase of places 
for the preaching of the gospel, and in the con- 
sequent increase of hearers ; but they frequently 
kindle passions so guilty in the sight of God, 
and so dishonourable in the eyes of the world 
that Christians should study to obtain the good 
without the evil. And when a young minister 
humbly follows where the Redeemer leads, seek- 
ing a field of acceptance and usefulness, without 
strife or division, his tenderness to the sacred 
body of Christ will usually be rewarded by that 
success which should^ above every other conside- 
ration, be dear to his heart. Such was the 
recompence of Risdon Darracott, who removed 
from Chumleigh to Penzance, in Cornvvall. 

The spirit with which he retired from a scene 
endeared to him by his paternal roof and the ash- 
es of a beloved father, will be seen in the follovr- 
ing letter to his friend Pearsall. 



MEMOIRS OF DARKACOTT. 45 

"Penzance, JVov. 2, 1738. 
" My dear friend, 

" Since I received your kind and affectionate 
letter, I am removed, to a very considerable dis- 
tance from the place where I then was. I hope 
a good Providence has made the remove. The 
meeting I then presided at, divided about me 
and another young minister ; an invitation being 
sent me just then by the people where I now 
am, I thought proper to accept it, on purpose to 
withdraw from those w^ho unhappily divided. I 
am, I think now, as to the place, in the most 
agreeable situation I ever saw. It lies close to 
the sea-side, and commands a very large pros- 
pect ; it has abundant pleasant walks ; the town 
throughout is very rich and populous. The meet- 
ing is but small, but the people are very sub- 
stantial ; and, what to me is mostly valuable, they 
are very affectionate and truly religious. If I do 
not settle with them, which at present I am a 
little doubtful of, it is owing to the distance it is 
from my estate and relations ; however, may that 
God who has hitherto led and guided me, direct 
my mind and overrule my thoughts in subser- 
viency to his glory. I hope that, and that only, 
w^ill be the end I shall always in life propose. 
O that I may live to God, that when I die, I may 
die with the pleasing hope of living for ever with 
him ! 

I have heard lately some melancholy accounts 
about the academy ; I know not how true they 
are. I am really most truly concerned for its 



46 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

welfare, and would desire you would give a little 
account how things are with you. May God be 
abundantly better than my fears, and exceed my 
fondest hopes concerning it ! I find the work of 
composition much easier, and can make two 
sermons a week with pleasure : but ah ! I find it 
still hard to keep up the spirit of religion in my 
heart, and to go through my work with a be- 
coming temper : I am too apt to grow cold and 
lose my spiritual unction. O that the divine 
Spirit may breathe upon me and give me life ! 
I earnestly desire a continuance in your prayers, 
and do assure you, you shall always in mine be 
affectionately remembered. The good God be 
with you and bless you, build you up in all 
valuable learning and true religion, and make 
you eminently useful in your day and generation ! 
" Please to write me when at leisure, and 
direct for me at Mr. Enty's, in Penzance, Corn- 
wall. Give the same direction to Mr. Merivale. 
My respects to those of the gentlemen who may 
ask for me. I am, my dear friend, 

<« With a great deal of respect, yours, 

" Risdon Darracott." 
His acceptance and success at Penzance left 
him no reason to regret his former scene of 
labour. " The Spirit of God," he said to a friend, 
" is usefully moving upon the hearts of men 
here ; through my preaching, several are awaken- 
ed, and setting their faces towards Zion ; some 
very vicious and debauched characters are re- 
formed, the young men show great seriousness. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 47 

and I have great hope of several of them ; and 
what makes all this the more remarkable is, that 
there was a strange lukewarmness among pro- 
fessors themselves when I came hither ; the 
church seemed to have a name that it lived but 
was dead. The people so much love me, and I 
find myself so affectionately concerned for them, 
that I believe I shall settle^with them ; though I 
shall not determine, till I go up into Devonshire, 
which will be about a fortnight hence. Some 
of my friends do not think it convenient to fix 
with them, as the congregation is but small, and 
the interest of the dissenters weak through the 
whole country ; but yet, is the day of small 
things to be despised ? Could I get such a friend 
as you near me, it would determine me at once, 
but the ministers throughout the country, it 
must be acknowledged are poor preachers, and 
the interest sinks in their hands. I am sorry at 
the account you give of yourself about fixing, as 
I fear I must ever despair of being near you. 
The London ministers too well know their 
interest in the city to let you come down into the 
country. I have sent you two little books, " Dr. 
Watts on the Strength and Weakness of Human 
Reason," and his " Redeemer and Sanctifier," as 
an instance of my kind regard for you. I beg I 
may have a letter from you when you have 
received them. I send them by a private hand, 
but hope they will come safe. I much approve 
of your leaving the Saturday night society ; I 
saw the inconvenience of it myself before I left 



48 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

the country ; though I have received very great 
advantages from it, and rejoice that I set it up ; 
still as the mixed company was found a fault, you 
did well to separate." 

The prosperity which attended Mr. Darracott's 
ministry at Penzance was greatly promoted by 
private means, which are of far greater importance 
than many seem to imagine. That pastoral visits 
and social meetings for private devotions, ought 
not to preclude opportunities for study, nor in- 
duce a habit of desultory preaching, is readily 
admitted ; for this would be sacrificing the pri- 
mary means of usefulness to the secondary. But 
after employing in the study as much time as is 
consistent with the preservation of health, and 
essential to the mental improvement which good 
preaching requires, sufficient leisure will still be 
left for abundant pastoral attentions, without 
which the flock will never prosper. " I am de- 
termined," says Mr. Darracott, '' to set up a 
religious society here ; I have spoken of it from 
the pulpit, and it seems well lelished ; I shall 
preach some whole sermons upon it, to encourage 
and direct in it." / : 

" I have again increased my labours, and I do 
assure you with a great deal of pleasure, to 
preaching three times on the sabbath. I have 
added a private lecture to some young men in 
my own room every Friday evening, and a pub- 
lic lecture every Wednesday ; in both which, 
God does seem already to give me great encour- 
agement. I make it my constant delightful bu- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 49 

siness to visit the people from house to house, by 
which I inform myself howreligion isregardedby 
them, being led to suit my public discourses more 
advantageously. Several seem to be under con- 
victions, which I hope will end in true conver- 
sion. I bless God, as to my health, I never was 
better ; I seem to renew my strength as I renew 
my labours. I meet with some particular temp- 
tations. O pray for me ! 

'' I had lately a very large and kind letter 
from the Doctor; I am, indeed, delightfully 
pleased with the account he gives of things 
thereabouts. Mr. Whitefield, I find, has been 
there. I have written a letter to that good man, 
to desire him to come down into Cornwall, but I 
fear his going so soon to Georgia will prevent 
him. I therefore desired the Doctor to write to 
Mr. Morgan to come down, or get some person 
of the like holy fire : do you, my dear friend, 
exert your utmost influence with Mr. Morgan. 
This country is sadly ignorant, and deserves as 
much compassion as Wales can do. I am daily 
seeing how teachable a disposition they are of, 
and how greatly they thirst after the gospel, and 
it is a pity they should perish in such multitudes 
for want of it. Here are, indeed, many clergy- 
men, but they are sadly negligent of their 
flocks." 

In another letter he says, *' I am going to visit 
every person in my congregation, and talk with 
them. Pray for me." 

While he was thus labouring with ardour and 
5 



50 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

success, he was seized with an alarming disorder, 
in the year 1738. In the February of that year, 
he wrote an account of his illness, not, as afflict- 
ing him by threatening his life, but as disappoint- 
ing him when indulging the hope of more abun- 
dant labours and success. A few wrecks after, 
he gave to a friend a detail of " the conversion of 
another soul," in a style which expressed a deep 
sense of the Redeemer's declaration, that one 
soul outweighs a world. Under this impression, 
he endeavoured to console himself, and compen- 
sate his flock for the abridgment of his public la- 
bours, by increased attention to all private means 
of usefulness. But the debility of which he com- 
plained, so rapidly increased, and was accompa- 
nied with spitting of blood to a degree so alarm- 
ing, that he was thought to be far advanced in a 
consumption. 

As a change of air was deemed requisite, he 
removed to Barnstaple, in Devonshire, where he 
had many friends. Here he spent the former 
half of the year 1739. He could not preach 
as usual, but endeavoured to employ himself by 
embracing such means of usefulness as still lay 
within his reach, and particularly by correspond- 
ing with his pious friends. Whitefield and Wes- 
ley were among the number, and he mentions 
the promise of the former to come and supply 
his lack of service in the West of England. As 
he began to recover, after leaving Penzance, it 
was thought the air of that place would not 
agree with him, which induced him to look out 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 51 

for a new field of labour. The presbyterian 
congregation at Wellington, in Somersetshire, 
being destitute of a pastor, and having heard of 
his situation and character, were, happily for 
them, induced to give him an invitation, which led 
to his permanent settlement and distinguished 
success. 

With pleasure w^e see, that no inferior motives 
but that the hand of God removed him from a field 
of labour which promised so abundant a harvest. 
For the consideration which some urged, that 
Penzance was at a great distance from his 
relations and estate, was unworthy of a minister 
of Christ. Every genuine minister enters upon 
the work voluntarily ; but when he has put his 
hand to the plough, he is forbidden to look back 
upon friends and estates, and pleasant residences, 
on pain of being pronounced unfit for the king- 
dom of God. Wo to the minister who is not 
guided by his master's interest as his polar star ! 
The most paradisaic spot is blasted by the Sav- 
iour's frowns, and the loveliest circle of friendship 
may soon be converted into the haunt of discord 
and the furies. But, " as he that loveth his life 
immoderately shall lose it ; while he that sacrific- 
eth it for Christ's sake shall keep it to life eternal ;" 
Risdon Darracott, who was contented to serve 
Christ far from friends, was, by the kindly aflSic- 
tive hand of the Saviour, sent back to enjoy his 
friends with new relish, and pursue his ministry 
with increased success. 



52 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 



CHAPTER III. 



4 



FROM MR. DARRACOTt's SETTLEMENT AT WELLING- 
TON TO HIS LAST ILLNESS. 

After having preached occasionally at Wel- 
lington for some time, Mr. Darracott went to 
reside there, early in the year 1741. This town, 
which contained but a few thousand inhabitants, 
would be deemed by many too narrow a field for 
such a labourer. But he who deserved a nobler 
sphere had a heart to create one. If the town 
was not large, the congregation to which he was 
invited to preach, formed but a very small pro- 
portion of its inhabitants. The members of the 
church amounted to no more than twenty-eight ; 
though their former pastor, Mr. Berry, who died 
at an advanced age, had the reputation of a very 
excellent man. Perhaps his ministry had been 
protracted, as that of some valuable men has un- 
happily been, beyond the period of mental or 
physical vigour, and thus had contributed at last 
to the diminution rather than the increase of his 
flock. 

It is deeply to be deplored, that this should 
often arise from the want of provision among 
dissenters for those who are worn out in the 
service of the church. What language but that 
of Pericles, which left stings in the minds of his 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 53 

hearers, should be employed, when expressing 
the astonishment and shame produced by the re- 
flection, that thousands of churches should have 
existed for a century and a half, possessed of 
hundreds of thousands of pounds, and never 
established a fund to support ministers whose age 
renders them incompetent to the work. May the 
spirit of christian benevolence soon wipe away 
from us this reproach ! 

The successor of Mr. Berry, far from lingering 
on the verge of the field, contenting himself with 
looking about and intending to labour, instantly 
devised modes of usefulness new to his flock, and 
entered upon his w ork WMth a spirit which excit- 
ed equal pleasure and surprise. His fame soon 
spread, and curiosity drew from the surrounding 
country crowds of strangers. Whether the pres- 
sure of the crowd offended those who loved to 
be at ease in Zion, or his preaching proved too 
faithful for those who said " prophecy to us 
smooth things," or from what other cause it 
originated, it is not now certain ; but some of the 
trustees of the meeting-house became his avowed 
enemies. Withdrawing from his ministry, they 
locked up their pews, which the eagerness of the 
hearers who were standing in the aisles frequently 
burst open. The opposition, however, gradually 
died away, and left him without an enemy, where 
he certainly deserved none. 

Thus encouraged, he determined to accept the 
call of the church to the pastoral charge. On 
the eleventh of November, 1741, he was ordained 
6^ 



54 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, ^ 

1 

by twelve ministers, among whom no other nameff 
are now known, but those of Mr. Moon, of 
Bridgwater ; Mr. Stodden, of Taunton ; Mr. Palk, 
of South Molton ; Mr. Westcott, of Tiverton; and 
Mr. Chorley, of UfFculm. What part of the 
service each one took, is not known. Mr. 
Darracott's confession of faith was brief; as he 
wisely abstained from the vain attempt to adduce 
the proofs of the doctrines which he avowed as 
his creed. To the question proposed, " What 
are your ends for taking upon you the work of 
the ministry ?" he replied, '' If I kpow any thing 
of my own heart, 1 think I may say with the great- 
est certainty, I have no end of life but to serve God, 
and no pleasure like it. And especially in enter- 
ing the ministry, I know no other motive but the 
glory of God in the salvation of souls. May I 
promote this, and I have all my desire !" 

On the evening of this day of fasting and 
prayer, he wrote the following reflections. — 
*' Nov. 11, 1741, in the evening of my ordina- 
tion-. This has been a solemn and delightful 
day. I have now put my hand to the gospel 
plough, with a desire never to look back. I have 
now publicly devoted myself to the work of the 
ministry, and I heartily rejoice in what I have 
done. May I never defile the sacred office ! 
May I never prove a dishonour to my Lord and 
Master ! May I not be a loiterer, but a labourer 
in his work ! and may my labours be crowned 
with abundant success ! Hitherto I have found 
it to be delightful work, nor have I altogether 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 55 

laboured in vain. I can never be enough thank- 
ful for what I have seen, and do still see, of a 
divine blessing upon my poor labours, while I 
would be encouraged hereby, to hope and pray 
for greater success. Grant this, dear Lord, to 
thy unworthy servant, and thou wilt herein 
gratify his w armest wishes and his highest ambi- 
tion. Amen and Amen." 

Similar reflections he recorded on the evening 
of the first Sabbath on which he administered the 
Lord's supper. ''Dec. 4, 1741. This day I 
have been administering the sacrament for the 
first time ; and a most delightful season it has 
been to my soul. I cannot forbear saying on this 
occasion, Lord ! who and what am I that thou 
shouldest bring me hitherto ! Four were this 
day admitted, three of whom date their saving 
impressions under my poor ministry since I have 
been here. How^ does my heart rejoice herein, 
and all that is within me bless and magnify God! 
Six more were also proposed, whose hearts I 
hope divine grace has laid hold of O what has 
God done by a poor worm already ! There is a 
visible change upon the face of the congregation, 
which is at once pleasing and hopeful to me. I 
trust, indeed, that God has much work to do by 
me here, and that he has much people in this 
place to gather in. Whatever he has done, 
whatever he shall do by my poor ministrations, 
this be now and ever my humble song, " Not un- 
to me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto thy name 
alone be all the glory and all the praise. Amen." 



56 MEMOIRS OF DA.RRACOTT, 

Such reflections were auspicious omens. If 
God has promised to fulfil the desires of them 
that fear him, it could not be doubted, that these 
aspirations after usefulness, would be indulged 
with a gracious answer. Many are ambitious to 
shine in the public assembly, who care not what 
appearance thy make before God in the closet ; 
but, where religion is thus distinguished in se- 
cret, it will not fail to throw a glory round the 
pulpit. But what hope can be entertained of 
that man's success, who treats his ordination as a 
ceremonious exhibition, who enters on his work 
with no holy longings, and deposits at the foot 
of the cross no solemn prayers ? 

Being now settled in his pastoral charge, he 
determined to enter into the married state. He 
had seen in the afflictions of his father's latter 
days, reasons for serious caution, which he did 
not neglect. His affections had been for some 
time fixed on Miss Katherine Besley, of Barn- 
staple. This lady was, like himself, a descendant 
of the puritan confessors, who founded the dis- 
senting churches. Her mother's name was 
Peard, whose ancestor, Oliver Peard, is mentioned 
with honour in the " Nonconformist's Memorial," 
as minister at Barnstaple. Miss Besley's fine 
person was inspired with such a mind as 
Mr. Darracott deserved. The religion of the 
puritans, in whose scriptural principles she was 
well instructed, was by her perpetuated to a 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 57 

period when it unhappily began to be despised as 
antiquated. 

Their marriage, which was celebrated in the 
month of December, 1741, was a happy event to 
them both. She found in him all the generous ten- 
derness implied in the sacred name of husband ; 
and his heart, alike unfitted for the solitude of celi- 
bacy, and the contentions of an inauspicious mar- 
riage, found in her, repose from the fatigues of his 
ministry, and solace under the afflictions of life. 
Her health was not vigorous, but, except in the 
times when her illness alarmed his fears, she 
relieved him from all earthly concerns, for which 
he had an utter aversion. 

When he entered on domestic life, and reared 
an altar to God where he had pitched his tent, 
he penned a hymn, which will excite, indeed, no 
high idea of his poetic genius, but will discover 
to the pious reader what is infinitely more 
valuabfe, a spirit of devotion uuimating him in 
every relation of life. 

I. 

Oh ! God of Betliel, \\hose kind hand, 

Has all our fathers led, 
And in this desert howlmg land 

Has still their table spread. 

n. 

To thee our humble vows we raise, 

To thee address <-;ur prayer ; 
And tru?t ourselves and all our ways 

To thy indulgent care. 

HI. 

If thou, through every path we go, 

Wilt be our constant guide , 
If thou our food and raiment too 

Wilt graciously provide: 



58 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

IV. 

If thou, as we press on our way, 

Wilt cheer us with thy love, 
And ne'er permit our feet to stray 

Till reach'd thy house above ; , 

V. 

Thee will we choose to be our God, 

To thee ourselves resign ; 
With all we are and have, O Lord, 

We will be ever thine. 

VI. 

For if, Lord, thou ours wilt be. 

We can give up the rest ; 
Our souls possess'd alone of thee, 

Are infinitely blest. 

At this time he received from Dr. Doddridge 
the following letter, v^hich expresses all the be- 
nevolence and piety of the Doctor's heart. 

'' JVorthampton, Feb. 16, 1741-2. 
« My dear friend, 

<' Though I have too much reason to begin my 
letter with excuses for so long a silence ; I will 
trust to your goodness to supply that deficiency, 
and rather begin it with congratulations. I do 
therefore most heartily congratulate you on your 
entrance upon the full exercise of the most 
honourable and most delightful office in the 
world. I congratulate you on your relation to so 
good a people ; on your being honoured with 
such singular success, to have a society of such 
persons among you, raised from death to such a 
degree of spiritual life, by the almighty hand of 
God. 



MEMOIRS OF DABRACOTT. 59 

And I also congratulate you, on entering into 
the matrimonial state with so agreeable a com- 
panion for life as I hear Mrs. Darracott is. A per- 
son who, if my information be right, has all the 
charms of person, temper, and character ; and is 
likely not only to be a faithful but a delightful 
companion in the way to heaven. May God 
multiply his blessings upon you both ! May you 
both strengthen each other's hands, and quicken 
each other's hearts in the great business of life ! 
And may God give you health and prosperity in 
your worldly affairs, and make you long-lived 
blessings to each other and to the church. 

" My family has been visited with an affliction 
which is grievous to us, the death of Mr. Lowe, 
who died of a gallopping consumption last Wed- 
nesday, and is this evening to be interred. It is 
a sad stroke upon us, but softened with this 
circumstance, that though he came hither against 
his will, God was here pleased to convince him, 
as he told me almost with his dying, at least with 
his labouring breath, of many errors which he 
had imbibed from the pernicious writings of that 
wretched Chubbs and some other persons, and 
brought him to those views of Christ, and that 
dependance upon him for life and salvation, in 
which I hope he is now rejoicing in the presence 
of God above. He expressed his joy in the 
strongest terms that ever he came under this roof, 
and I hope his dying conversation was more useful 
than the living labours of some are likely to be. 



60 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. J 

God grant, that the impression may be deep and 
lasting ! 

How is it that when eternity comes into view, 
«ome honest moral people, who before had 
thought lightly of the gospel, grow into a sudden 
admiration of it, and dare not fix their own 
dependance upon any thing else, without any 
thing to work their conviction but their own 
inward experience ? It is a circumstance worth 
noticing, and worth communicating. Adored be 
divine grace, we are making it our daily refuge : 
and I hope and trust it will hold up our hearts in 
peace and joy, when every thing else puts on a 
gloomy aspect, and the shadow of the grave is 
ipread dark and thick over us. Faith has an eye 
that will penetrate through the cloud, and God 
has a voice which I hope our souls will then hear, 
and will fill them not only with serenity, but, if it 
be his will, with transport. 

I was particularly mindful of you, on your first 
sacrament day, and doubt not but you had much 
of the presence of God in it, I think of accepting 
your kind invitation in the month of June or July, 
if God prolong my poor unprofitable life ; (for, 
alas ! 'tis too much so,) to that period. O that my 
heart were more entirely his ! O that my life 
were one continued series of zealous active 
services ! Go on vigorously in your work, my 
dear brother, preach Christ crucified to perishing 
aouls as their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
and redemption. Lift him up as on the cross, for 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 61 

the healing of precious immortal souls, that they 
may look unto him and be saved. 

I have hopes that God will spread the savour 
of his name abroad, and will revive religion among 
you and us. I feel the presence of God in my 
soul, in a more delightful manner than I can 
express, and I think when I pray for the advance- 
ment of his interest in the world, there is some 
token of good given in to me, which encourages 
me to believe that my prayers are heard. Salute 
all your society in my name, and assure them 
that I wish them increase of grace and peace. I 
have not time to add any thing more, but that I 
am, most cordially yours, 

'' P. Doddridge." 

Such comforts as Mr. Darracott now enjoyed 
have caused some men to sink the public in the 
domestic character, reminding us of the bee 
whose wings have become incapable of flight by 
immersion in its own honey. But Mr. Darracott 
happily escaped this ungrateful perversion of the 
favours of heaven. He pursued his labours with 
new zeal, and the Redeemer crowned them with 
augmented blessings. His hearers increased to 
such an amount as constantly to overflow the place 
of worship, which, however, served to display the 
purity of his motives and his freedom from vanity ; 
for in all his correspondence he mentions only that 
which is the grand end of hearing, the conversion 
of souls to God, and the increased dominion of 
religion over the hearts of professed Christians. 
6 



62 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

These evidences of his usefulness were continu- 
ally inspiring him with fresh delight, so that the 
eight and twenty original members of the church 
soon saw themselves surrounded at the Lord's 
table by accessions far beyond their own number. 

He opened houses for worship in most of the 
adjacent villages, where he preached weekly. 
In one, which was about a mile from Welling- 
ton, and from the character of the inhabitants 
was called Rogue's Green, such a change was 
effected, as produced a change of the name. 
Drunkenness, rioting, and indeed sin of every 
description, formerly seemed the only business 
of the inhabitants. Not one of them was known 
to pretend to prayer or religion under any form. 
But it pleased God to crown Mr. Darracott's 
preaching here with such efficacy, that, after a 
time, the traveller heard on an evening the 
sound of prayer and praise in almost every house. 
The place lost its former name, and is now called 
Roe or Row Green. 

But the great high-priest of the church, who 
was made perfect through sufferings, had too 
much regard for this faithful servant to leave him 
destitute of conformity to himself in this most 
endearing part of his character so essential to the 
perfection of religion. Mr. Darracott was, in 
the month of May, 1743, thrown upon the bed of 
sickness, which would not have been mentioned 
here (as neither the affliction nor its consolations 
can be reckoned extraordinary in the history of 
a Christian) were it not that it affords an oppor- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 63 

tHinity of introducing a letter to him from Dr. 
Doddridge, of which no pious reader will wish 
to have been deprived. 

" Yes, my dear and invaluable friend, though 
it be a Sabbath and a sacrament day, if you 
desire a few lines from me by return of post 
you shall be sure to have them, and I doubt not 
that our dear Lord will not only excuse, but 
accept such an office of love, in such sacred 
moments too. But my heart is pained while I 
undertake it, when I consider in what circum- 
stances I am writing to you. Good Mr. Fawcett 
had prepared me for that shock which the latter 
part of your letter was to give me, by acquainting 
me with your illness, your dangerous illness. 
And O ! what a wound was it to my heart, to 
mine which loves you as a tender parent, and 
more than a parent, if that can be possible, to me 
who look upon you as eminently my joy, and 
my crown. 

" Must the residue of your days, my dear friend, 
be cut short in the midst ? must the world and 
the church lose you ? Alas ! it is almost like a 
sword in my heart. 'Tis what I hardly know 
how to bring my mind to submit to, and ac- 
quiesce in, with that humble deference which 
we owe to that infinite wisdom which is to 
determine the affair. But I would fain say, 
" Father, thy will be done !" I would give you 
up to him whose claims to you are so much 
greater than ours ; not without a secret hope that 
be would give you back again to our humble 



64 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 



4 



prayer, and will make your life the sweeter, an< 
your labour yet, if possible, more acceptable and 
useful in consequence of this threatening illness. 
Of this, at least, I am sure, he has stirred up 
my spirit, and that of several others, to pray 
earnestly for you, and to plead almost as for our 
own soul. And I cannot but think that the 
consequence is, he will spare you a little to 
recover strength. 

" If, however, our dear Lord who hath redeemed 
you by his blood should lead you immediately to 
himself; O happy man that you are ! O favourite 
servant, so soon to be called home ! so soon 
ripened for heaven, and brought thither ! " Blessed 
are the dead that die in the Lord." Blessed will 
you be in that holy society in which you will 
then be fixed ; in that perfect state free fram 
every evil of mind or of body, full of everlasting, 
uninterrupted, ardent love, love like that which 
fills the breasts of cherubim and seraphim. You 
will see our dear Lord. 

" I did but dream awhile ago, that our Lord 
Jesus Christ was come into the room in which I 
was, and gave a signal that he was opening the 
door ; and my heart sprung with such a joy that I 
immediately awoke as in an extacy ; and I can 
truly say, I never felt a joy in my whole life that 
seemed to equal it. It appeared to be a ray of 
heaven, and it seems, though it happened before 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 65 

I saw you last, to have left something of a trace 
of heaven on my soul to this moment. 

«' What then will your waking raptures be ? 
your substantial joys? you will forget this poor 
body ; perhaps forget the dearest of all your rela- 
tives, or if you remember them, it will be to adore 
God who keeps and blesses them, and will un- 
doubtedly magnify his mercy to them. If you 
should see them even in affliction, your heart will 
rejoice, in that you will view their afflictions in 
the light of heaven. You will think what benefit 
you yourself have received from chastenings which 
were not for the present joyous but grievous, and 
will see the interval of time that hinders the 
embrace of the perfect spirits in glory but as 
a moment, and the twinkling of an eye. 

" Away then, my dear friend, with every mourn- 
ful view. Begin, begin upon earth the songs of 
heaven. Tell all that are around you what God 
hath done for your soul, and what he is still do- 
ing. Open the inward joy of your heart to them, 
and let them see what that gospel you have 
preachecf does for you, that they may envy your 
dying bed, if yours be so ; and may, amidst all 
their sorrows, rejoice that you are going to your 
Father. 

Look, my dear brother, look to Jesus, our 
rising, ascending. Lord. Behold him pointing 
upward, amidst the raptures with which he was 
leaving this poor world of ours ; pointing upward, 
and saying, " I ascend to my father and to your 
father, to my God and to your God." O happy man 
6* 



66 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

1 

that you are, so quickly to ascend after him ! 
Receive in this case not my condolence, but 
congratulation ; my pity is not y.ours, but dear 
Mrs. Darracott's. How shall I name that 
amiable woman in such a circumstance ? The 
Lord support her, the Lord spare her, and lay 
not this trial upon her. But if she must bear it, 
may he himself who alone can do it, make up the 
loss, and be a better husband to her than that 
very delightful one he may take away. Commit 
her to his Providence and his grace, without a 
suspicious thought ; her and her dear child. 
O my dear friend, be assured God will take 
tender, constant, generous care of them both. 
Had God given me possession, proportionable to 
my love to you, I would say, she should be as my 
sister, and the little one as my daughter, and 
greatly should I think myself honoured and blessed 
in supplying the wants of both. 

'« But of this be assured, that I will watch over 
them according to my ability. They shall want 
no counsel ; no assistance that I can give or pro- 
cure for them, shall stand foremost in tne list of 
those whose necessities, if they should be in any 
necessity, I wiirremember, and to the utmost of 
my power exert myself to help. But I rather 
pray, if it be the blessed will of our dear and 
gracious Disposer and Lord, that you may be 
spared to show kindness to my widow and 
orphans, than I to yours. But farewell ! you see 
to what the line or two, which you asked of me, 
is grown up. My overflowing heart would have 



MEMOms OF DARRACOTT. 67 

made it much longer, would my time, my paper, 
and my business have allowed it. For alas ! it 
seems to me that I do but now begin to learn 
with how much tenderness I am, 
" Dear Sir, 
" Your affectionate brother and friend in ever- 
lasting bonds, which death, instead of dissolving, 
will tie the faster, 

*^P. Doddridge/' 

" He that watereth others shall be watered 
also himself. Give and it shall be given to you ; 
good measure pressed down, and shaken together, 
and running over, shall men give into your 
bosom ; for with the same measure that ye mete 
withal, it shall be measured to you again." 
These promises were most strikingly verified in 
the history of Doddridge. The letter which has 
now opened to the reader the kindness, sympathy, 
and piety of the doctor's breast, was requited and 
surpassed by one sent to him in his last illness by 
Mr. Barker, minister of Salter's Hall, London. 
It must be well known to every reader of Dod- 
dridge's life. 

But, as some who may peruse this volume may 
not have seen that valuable work, the letter is 
here presented, as a fit companion to the for- 
mer : — 

'« Lessingham, Meal, and Barker, are too near- 
ly interested in that precious life, which now 
appears in danger of being cut off in the midst of 
its days, to hear of its waste and languishing 



68 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

without great concern, and fervent prayer to 
God. 

" How your letter affected my heart in public, 
your friends are witness ; but what I felt for my 
dear brother, and the ministers and churches of 
Christ, God and myself only know. I will not 
now say, why did you spend so fast ? why did you 
not spare yourself a little sooner ? I will rather 
heartily thank you, that you use all the means 
you can to repair your frame, and restore and 
prolong your usefulness. It is the kindest thing 
you can do, and the highest instance of friend- 
ship you can now shew us ; and I acknowledge 
your goodness to us, in this point, with tears of 
joy. Consent and choose to stay with us awhile 
longer, my dear friend, if it please God. This is 
not only needful to Northampton and its adjacent 
towns and villages, but desirable to us all, and 
beneficial to our whole interest. Stay Doddridge, 
O stay and strengthen our hands, whose shadows 
grow long ! Fifty is but the height of vigour, 
usefulness, and honour. Don't take leave ab- 
ruptly. Providence hath not directed thee yet, 
on whom to drop thy mantle. Who shall instruct 
our youth, fill our vacant churches, animate our 
associations, and diffuse a spirit of piety, mode- 
ration, candour, and charity through our villages 
and churches ; and a spirit of prayer and suppli- 
cation into our towns and cities, when thou art 
removed from us ? Especially, who shall unfold 
the sacred oracles, teach us the meaning and use 
of our bibles, rescue us from the bondage of 



I 



MEMOIES OF DARRACOTT. 69 

systems, party-opinions, empty, useless specula- 
tions, and fashionable forms and phrases ; and 
point out to us the simple, intelligible, consistent, 
uniform religion of our Lord and Saviour ? Who 

shall But I am silenced by the voice of Him, 

who says, ' Shall I not do what I will with my 
own ? Is it not my prerogative to take and leave, 
as seemeth me good ? I demand the liberty of 
disposing of my own servants at my own pleas- 
ure. He hath laboured more abundantly. His 
times are in my hand. He hath not slept as do 
others. He hath risen to nobler heights than 
things below. He hopes to inherit glory. He 
hath laboured for that, which endureth to eternal 
life : Labour, which the more it abounds, the 
more it exalts and magnifies its object, and the 
more effectually answers and secures its end. — It 
is yours to wait and trust,— mine to dispose and 
govern. — On me be the care of ministers and 
churches.^ — With me is the residue of the Spirit. 
— Both the vineyard and the labourers are mine. 
— I set them to work, and when I please, I call 

them and give them their hire.' With these 

thoughts, my passions subside, — my mind is 
softened and satisfied, — I resign thee, myself and 
all, to God, saying, ' thy will be done !' 

'' But now for the wings of faith and contempla- 
tion. Let me take thy hand, my dear brother, 
and walk a turn or two in yonder spacious 
regions. Yes, it is so ; we read it in the book of 
God, that word of truth and gospel of our salva- 
tion — that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ 



70 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

shall all be made alive. The one ruined hia? 
posterity by sin ; the other raiseth his seed to 
immortality. This poisoned the dart and in- 
flamed the wound of death ; but Jesus Christ 
redeemeth us from this captivity. See, thou 
christian minister, thou friend of my bosom and 
faithful servant of God, see the important period, 
when the surprising signs and descendmg inha- 
bitants of heaven, proclaim the second coming 
of our divine Saviour ! The heavens open and 
disclose his radiant glory. — Hear the awakening 
trump. — See, the dead in Christ arise glorious 
and immortal — leave corruption, weakness and 
honour behind them, and behold their Lord and 
Head seated on his throne of judgment, attended 
and surrounded with the ministers of his power 
and pleasure, and shining in all the fulness of 
celestial glory ; — and not only see but share his 
victory and lustre, — partake of his image and 
influence. And behold the demolished fabric 
reared again, stately and ornamented — shining 
and illustrious — permanent and durable — to de- 
monstrate how entirely death is vanquished, all 
its ruins repaired ; and what was once meat for 
worms is now a companion of angels : for when 
' this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, 
and this mortal, immortality,' every eye will be 
fastened on the mighty conqueror, and every 
voice and harp be tuned for that transporting 
song, ' O Death, where is thy sting ? O Grave, 
where is thy victory ?' Yes, Doddridge, it is so. 
The fruit of our Redeemer's sufferings and 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 71 

victory is the entire and eternal destruction of 
sin and death. And is it not a glorious destruc- 
tion ? a most blessed ruin ? No enemy so 
formidable — no tyranny so bitter — no fetters so 
heavy and galling — no prison so dark and dismal 
— but they are vanquished and disarmed ; — the 
unerring dart is blunted and broken — the prison 
pulled down and razed. Our Lord is risen, as 
• the first-fruits of them that slept.' 

*' How glad should I be to hear, that God is so 
pleased to prolong thy life on earth, to declare 
the glorious truths and teach us to improve them ! 
In this, your friends with you, and many more in 
every place, join, and make it our common 
petition to the great Disposer of all events. Use 
every means you can for the recovery of your 
health, for the sake of your friends, among whom 
is your faithful and affectionate, 

"J. Barker." 

No one can wonder to hear Orton, the biogra- 
pher of Doddridge, say, " the Doctor was so 
deeply affected with the friendship expressed in 
this letter, and the divine consolations it admin- 
istered, that there was reason to fear that his 
tender frame would have sunken under the 
emotions of his gratitude and joy." The reader 
of these two beautiful letters, can scarcely per- 
suade himself that the writer of the latter had 
not seen that of Doddridge, and determined to 
surpass it. 

From an affliction rendered pleasant by th« 



72 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

consolations of God, and the friendship of the 
just, Mr. Darracott came forth like a giant re- 
freshed with wine. It is not, indeed, surprising 
that such consolations as he enjoyed should feed 
the flames of his zeal, and suggest new modes of 
improving life to the utmost. To the ordinary 
addresses^ from the pulpit he added letters written 
to those whom his sermons had failed to impress, 
or whose impressions were but recent. Some- 
times, instead of sending, he would read them 
to those for whom they were intended ; thus he 
gave a more solemn address than ordinary con- 
versation allows, while yet he avoided the ap- 
pearance of formal preaching. 

A letter written to a friend at this time de- 
Telopes the heart of a faithful pastor. '' When I 
wrote last, I think I told you I had buried a young 
convert God gave me, who died lately ; that I 
preached his funeral sermon, and was desired to 
preach it again the Sabbath following. I did so, 
with renewed prayers that God would give us 
another to fill up the room of the deceased ; and 
God gave me great freedom to speak to young 
persons on the happiness of being in Christ. A 
young lady I saw was much affected. When I 
came home I found myself much impressed to 
pray for her in particular, and the next morning 
to write to her on the subject. I accordingly 
did, and in the evening having taken her up into 
my study, I read my letter to her, at which she 
wept much ; I asked her whether she had not 
been impressed, and she told me, she had. This 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 73 

appeared remarkable to us both ; for till this 
time I had little thought of her, seeing her quite 
gay and unconcerned ; and she owned, thet till 
lately she had never been affected. Just upon 
this, even that very week, it pleased Gcd, in 
order to establish and confirm the work, to bring 
dear Miss Baker to take up her abode at my 
house. I immediately acquainted her wi;h it, 
and she was much surprised and delighted. 1 he 
week after, a society was formed of females for 
private prayer." 

^' While I was w^riting this, I was called down 
to speak with Miss Norman, and to my greet 
surprise found that she v/as ccme to talk with 
me about her soul, and wished particularly to bo 
taken into communion. I find she has been 
under concern a long time, and blesses God she 
ever heard me : this is the more surprising, as the 
whole family has been very strange to us and 
is still.*' 

It is not to be supposed that he laboured 
without opposition, or enjoyed success without 
afl3iction. The fruits of his labours were some- 
times snatched from his hands by those who 
differed from him in some points, not however 
essential to a Christian's hopes : but what most 
grieved the affectionate soul of Darracott was, to 
see that those who had not won the convejts 
from the world, could estrange their hearts from 
him who had. 

Opposition of another kind too, tried whether 
his patience would keep pace with his zeal He 
7 



74 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

had been for some time in the habit of preaching 
at Langford, a village about two miles from 
Wellington. On one occasion, when accompa- 
nied by a number of his friends from the town, 
the congregation became so numerous, that he 
was obliged to stand at the door to afford to the 
whole company the benefit of the worship. Just 
before he began to preach, a neighbouring gen- 
tleman came up at the head of a mob armed 
with clubs, swearing and threatening to fall upon 
him if he attempted to preach. Though Mr. 
Darracott assured this gentleman-rioter that the 
house w^as registered, and that he was under 
the protection of the law, it only drew forth the 
heroic declaration of not caring for the law. Mr. 
Darracott deemed it prudent, lest mischief should 
ensue, to desist from preaching at that time. He 
drew up an account of the affair, and threatened 
to prosecute, which intention he afterwards 
abandoned. 

This mode of opposition was not resorted to 
again. Those who in the heat of wine, at the 
head of a band of rioters, bid defiance to law and 
government, have usually too much tenderness 
for their persons, property, and honour, coolly to 
risk a fine or a jail, for the sake of venting their 
hatred to the preaching of the gospel. The 
reader will not be surprised to learn, that it was 
such a gentleman as opposed him on this occa- 
sion, who, on seeing Mr. Darracott pass by, pro- 
nounced this eulogium on him, "there goes a 
man who serves God as if the Devil were in him." 



MEMOIRS OF DARKACOTT. 76 

Thus the demons themselves were compelled to 
publish the Saviour's praise : " we know thee 
who thou art, the holy one of God." Indeed the 
praises which impiety has bestowed upon religion, 
would, if collected, form a volume of no small 
size or interest. 

This volume will doubtless be produced, when 
the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be 
opened. It will then appear, that the christian's 
light has so shone before men, that they have 
seen the good works of the righteous, and will 
be compelled to glorify God in the day of visita- 
tion. But we can scarcely conceive of a testi- 
mony to the zeal of a christian more striking, thaii 
that given to Darracott. It was manifest, even 
to his enemies, that he served his Maker with a 
devotion more than human : but as they were 
not in the habit of ascribing any thing to divine 
influence, they attributed his zeal for God to the 
impulse of the Devil. 

In the year 174 5, Mr. Darracott felt, in com- 
mon with most who were deeply interested in 
the welfare of religion, the most distressing alarms 
from the rebellion in the north. The progress 
of the Pretender brought to the view of the non- 
conformists, the days when their fathers were 
hunted into holes and corners, or immured in 
prisons. Their children were filled with horror 
at the prospect of the return of the Stuarts, 
whom they regarded as the sworn foes of liberty, 
of conscience and pure religion. 

This storm, however, which threatened to blast 



'?6 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

al! his prospects of usefulness was soon blown 
over, and left Mr. Darracott to exchange the cry 
of clanger, the prayer of faith, for the song of 
praise, and the grateful inquiry " what shall I 
render to the Lord for all his benefits ?" The 
dread of speedy termination to his labours, taught 
him, indeed, to work while it was day, and his 
zeal was abundantly rewarded by seeing such 
crowds flock around his pulpit, as made it abso- 
lutely necessary to enlarge the place of worship. 
The sum which they proposed to expend was 
only a hundred pounds, but as this was one-fourth 
of what the whole place had cost about twenty 
years before, it was also more than the slender 
finances of the congregaiiou could afford ; so that 
it became necessary for him to undertake the 
disagreeable task of travelling to collect among 
other societies. 

That they built, not merely to accommodate 
casual hearers, will be seen from an account of 
the increase of the church which he wrote about 
this time. It is dated " November 1 1, 1747, the 
sixth anniversary of my ordination." He kept 
this as a day of fasting and prayer, a practice 
which cannot be too warmly recommended- to 
ministers ; for it is the natural result of eminent 
religion employed in the work of the ministry. 
To an unsuccessful minister it might suggest 
such reflections, and prompt to such conduct, as 
might save him from being thrown aside by an 
indignant God, as a vessel in which he has no 
pleasure. To those who have succeeded, lika 



MKMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 77 

Risdon Darracott, it must be unnecessary to re- 
ccmmend such days of review ; they have already 
been tried and sufficiently recommended them- 
selves by numerous benefits, and by such exqui- 
site pleasures as Mr. Darracott here expressed. 

" O what thankfulness and joy has it raised in 
my heart to-day, to look over a list of so many 
seals given to my worthless labours : I have 
been praising God for one hundred and twelve 
souls, since this day six years, added to the 
church ; the far greater part of whom have been 
begotten again in Christ Jesus under my ministry, 
and of all I have good hope. A list of names 
which I would not part with for the joys of the 
whole earth." 

The following letter to his sister in law, gives 
so full an account of his success at this time, 
that it will form the best continuation of the 
narrative which it may seem to interrupt. 

" Wellington, Feb. 10, 1746-7, 
" My dear sister, 
" I am now set down to give you some account 
of things here : and I think there never was at 
one time a greater work going on than there 
is just now. Ever since my refusal of Petherton, 
there hath been a fresh work here among us. 
The first who were awakened, and I believe are 
now effectually converted, were Alexander Swine 
and his wife ; and there is this remarkable in it, 
7* 



i O MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

that though he had been two years under my 
ministry, and about the beginning of it was taken 
very ill and given over, at which time I attended 
him often and prayed with him ; yet till about 
three months ago, when I went down to see 
him and his wife, and talked with them about 
their souls, and spent some time in prayer, 
he hath declared to me since, that he was never 
before once affected, nor ever prayed in all his 
life. But then he felt a mighty power going 
forth with my discourse and prayer, and from 
that time is so enlightened and wonderfully 
changed as surprises himself and all that inti- 
m:itely knew him ; and now behold he prays, so 
that his very neighbours take notice of it. 

'' He w^as taken into the church, the first of 
January, to the full satisfaction of all. And his 
wife, who was always brought up among the 
dissenters, and for many years had been under 
convictions, and laboured hard to bring over her 
Imsband to the meeting ; yet never felt the work 
to be deep in her soul, till that very day. So 
that they vvere both as it were born again at the 
same time, and under the same means, though 
she was taken into the church the month before 
her husband ; they now live together sweetly in 
the fear of God, and their house is become the 
house of prayer. 

'' The next remarkable work was by two ser- 
mons I preached ; one in the evening of the old 
year, from those words, Rev. x. 5, 6. < And tho 



MEMOIRS OF DARRAC0T1*. 79 

angel which I saw stand upon the sea, and upon 
the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven and sware 
by him that liveth for ever and ever, that there 
should be time no longer.' And the other, on 
the new year's day morning, from Moses's invita- 
tion to his brother in law. Numb. x. 29. ' We 
are journeying unto the place of which the 
Lord said, I will give it you. Come thou with 
OS, and we will do thee good : for the Lord hath 
spoken good concerning Israel.' 

<* Under both those sermons many were awa- 
kened, and still continue to give good hopes. 
Among the rest Miss Gifford, to whom I wrote a 
letter the new year's day after the sermon, and 
sent her by Miss Haine, which was much blessed, 
so that she immediately came to me, and with 
many tears thanked me. I hope the Lord will 
soon add her to the church. She was that even- 
ing with the women's society. Her brother 
James is under great concern, and I have wrote 
a letter to send him, may God make it as suc- 
cessful as his sister's was. 

" One Mr. Oland, a farmer, (whom I believe 
you knew) hath been more than ordinarily con- 
cerned of late about his soul. He hath always 
been a moral man, but, for some Sabbaths past, 
he hath been much affected under the word ; and 
in my last address from the Lord's table to the 
spectators, was so struck that he was obliged to 
lay down his head. I have this week sent him a 
letter, and am waiting the success. Here are 



80 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

several others under great concern, whom yon 
don't know, and some of them that I was myself 
never acquainted with, till the concern they were 
under brought them to me. A set of sermons I 
have been some time preaching, on our lost and 
undone state by nature, and recovery by the 
Lord Jesus Christ, are much blessed. On Lord's 
day, I was told that a company of boys met to- 
gether to pray, and are much altered in their 
temper. I am to meet them next Saturday night, 
at the house of one of the boys' father's. 

There is one instance more of the Lord's work 
I must be sure to tell you, as perhaps the most 
remarkable of all ; and that is the bringing in one 
at the eleventh hour. His name is Fry, a farmer, 
one of the oldest in the congregation, being four- 
score years old at Candlemas. Though he hath 
been a constant attendant on the v/orship of God 
for so many years, yet he owns he was never any 
way awakened till I came hither, and never so 
much as of late. He came to me before our last 
preparation, and with tears told me, he could not 
die satisfied until he had given up his soul to 
Christ in his own ordinance. And from what 
conversation I then had with him I had encour- 
agement then to propose him, and am since 
more satisfied. So that I believe he will be re- 
ceived next time. Thus can we sing to the glo- 
ry of our dear Redeemer. 

Wide as the reach of Satan's rage, 

Doth thy salvation flow ; 
'Tis not confin'd to sex or age, 

The lofty or the low. 



MEMOIRS OP DARKACOTT4 81 

'' Oh ! my dear sister, when you read this, go 
atid bless God on our behalf. Shout with us the 
praises of free grace. I see more every day that 
the grace of God is free ; and for this reason it 
will be adored by all the happy subjects of it to 
all eternity. It passes by whom it will, and 
chooses whom it pleases. The place, the person^ 
and the instrument of the work, is ail owing to 
the free grace of God. Else why is Wellington 
so favoured, when larger, better places are not so 
distinguished ? such and such in this place marked 
out, when others are left ? Why is so weak, so 
worthless a creature made use of, and others who 
are better not employed ? Oh ! my dear sister, I 
am constrained to say, Loid, why am I chosen i 
and see no other answer can be returned, but, 

Lord, because it seems good in thy sight. To 
him be all the glory. 

" But I have now wrote so much of these things, 

1 have left scarce room to say any thing else. Let 
me just tell you we are all well as yet, but the 
small-pox is come into town, and we are daily 
expecting to be tried with it. All our's is the 
Lord's, and let him do as he pleases. We join 
in most affectionate respects to you and brother. 
The Lord be with you in the needful hour, and 
in every other hour, and be better than all your 
fears. Trust him with your all, with whom you 
have trusted your soul. Farewell ; in the 
Lord, yours, 

" Risdon Darracott." 



82 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

As thie heart of the good man was full of his 
success, he sent a similar account to Dr. Dod- 
dridge, which drew from him the following re- 

" Northampton, March 30, 1747. 

" My very dear friend, 
" I thank you, and above all, I thank God for 
the charming contents of your letter, which I 
have this evening received, and which was a 
most reviving cordial for me, after I came out of 
the pulpit, where I have been ending my ser- 
mons on the parables for this year, concluding 
this night those on the prodigal son, which I 
hope I have not been prosecuting without much 
blessing from that gracious Saviour by whom it 
was uttered. I have been bowing my knees to 
the Father of all mercy, to return him my most 
unfeigned thanks for the signal honour he is 
pleased to confer upon you, and for the, I think, 
almost unparalleled encouragement he is giving 
to your ministry, very far beyond what I can pre- 
tend to. But when I consider how very little I 
deserve, I rather wonder that I am not left total- 
ly destitute of all success, than that all my wish- 
es are not answered. I rejoice to observe the 
humility with which you express yourself in the 
midst of all. 'Tis by the grace of God you are 
what you are, both with respect to ability, zeal, 
and success. 'Tis my hearty prayer that all the 
gifts, graces, and blessings of God's holy Spirit, 



P MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. S3 

may more and more be made to abound towards 
you. 

'' I am particularly pleased with the account 
you give me of writing letters to some of your 
people with such good success. Perhaps it may 
put me upon doing the like. God has made use 
of your letters to quicken, as well as to comfort 
me, and w^ll by it, I doubt not, quicken my 
prayers for you. Let yours for me, I beseech 
you, be continu^." 

Mr. Darracott could say, as Dr. Doddridge did 
in this letter, that his pecuniary embarrassments 
increased with his prosperity in the work of the 
Lord. For in the year 1748, the hospitality 
which his generous soul practised as a pastoral 
duty, was so far beyond his income, that it be- 
came necessary to provide some remedy. The 
relief was instantly afforded. He said with pious 
gratitude, '' Never have I seen so much of the 
kindness of Providence. He has raised up friends 
unsought, and indeed unheard of, especially a 
French merchant at Plymouth. The heads of 
my people came generously forward to consult, 
and offer their help to raise my salary. They 
have already, this last quarter, raised it consider- 
ably, and laid such a scheme to be pursued for 
the future, as will be much for its augmentation. 
The young people, both nien and women, have 
made a handsome subscription." Who would 
not regret to see such a heart as Mr. Darracott 
possessed, distressed and withdrawn from his 
nobler pursuits by worldly cares ? 



84 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

At this period of his life, he undertook the 
painful task of travelling to collect money, ia 
order to defray the expenses of enlarging the 
place of worship in which he preached. The task, 
however, was rendered less odious to him than it 
has proved to many, by the general prepossession 
in his favour, which the extraordinary success of 
his ministry had produced. 

He wrote thus to his friends at home : <* God 
has wonderfully succeeded me. ||You will be sur- 
prised to hear what God has wrought ! What 
may we not expect, when the Lord is on our side ! 
In Bristol, cases are so frequent, that it was 
thought I should get little : but the enlargement 
of a house, by reason of so many coming from the 
established church, is a thing so peculiar at this 
time, especially when the dissenting interest in 
most places is sinking, that many give to it, who 
had resolved to give no more. Indeed the case, 
perhaps, has not its like in the nation : about two * 
hundred come to the place, more than when I 
first came, and nearly one hundred and twenty 
communicants are added to it in seven years." 

Those cases which were then interesting by 
their rarity, are now happily very frequent, so that 
they fail to attract attention in consequence of 
their perpetual recurrence. To the letter of 
Darracott, his biographer would contrast one 
lately received from a valued friend. «' I am just 
returned from a missionary journey. It gave me 
great pleasure to observe, that in almost every 
place, the congregations are flourishing, both 99 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 85 

to religion and numbers ; and that the ministers 
are active. In some places, they had lately been 
enlarging, and in others, were now enlarging 

their places of worship. Mr. D , at H , 

has, in twenty years, raised from the foundation, a 
congregation of eight hundred people. Village- 
preaching was the grand instrument. Out of 

his has sprung another congregation at C , a 

village about six miles distant, which has now a 

minister of its own. At W , in Norfolk, 

where, four or five years ago, there were not 
three hundred people, I assisted at the opening 
after an enlargement, which will contain five 
hundred more. This has been by the ministry 
of Mr. A— — , a young man, in the space of three 

years. Mr. C , of A , is enlarging his 

place to hold two hundred and fifty more, which 
is the utmost extent of their ground. Mr. S , 



of C 5 is enlarging his too. Mr. D , of 

B , is a very efficient minister. The congre- 
gation has been doubled in his time, and a new 
place of worship built, which will contain eight 
hundred people. These things shew us what 
may be done, and furnish powerful motives to 
increased exertions for extending the boundaries 
of the Redeemer's kingdom. Stir up all your 
neighbours to seek the like things in their con- 
gregations." Happy are your eyes that they see, 
what Darracott, with many other excellent men, 
desired to see but saw not. 

Mr. Darracott's enlarged heart, which panted 
for the salvation of men to the ends of the 
8 



86 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

earth, took a lively interest in the triumphs of 
religion wherever it was enjoyed, and by what- 
ever instrument it was produced. This intro- 
duced him to the acquaintance of all the most 
honoured servants of Christ in his day ; and early 
in the year 1750, he received a visit from the 
apostolic Whitefield, who was then on his way to 
embark for America. 

In a letter to Lady Huntingdon, Whitefield says, 
'' at Wellington, I lay at the house of Mr. Darra- 
cott, a flaming successful preacher of the gospel, 
and who, I think, may justly be styled The Star in 
THE West. He hath suffered much reproach, the 
common lot of all that are owned in the Lord's 
vineyard, and, in the space of three months, he 
hath lost three lovely children ; two of them died, 
the Saturday evening before the sacrament was 
to be administered. But weeping did not hinder 
sowing, he preached the next day, and adminis- 
tered as usual : our Lord strengthened him, and, 
for his three children, hath given him above 
thirty spiritual ones, and he is in a likely way of 
many more. He hath ventured his all for Christ, 
and last week a saint died, who left him and his 
heirs two hundred pounds in land. Did ever any 
one trust in the Lord and was forsaken ? At his 
place, I began to take the field for the spring. 
At a very short warning a multitude of souls 
assembled, and the bread of life, that cometh 
down from heaven, was dispensed amongst them." 

Of this visit Mr. Darracott sent the following 



ME3I0IRS OF DARRACOTT. 87 

narrative to his kind friends at Poundsford Park, 
near Taunton. 

'^ Wellington, JVov. 7. 
" Dear and much-esteemed Madam, 

" I send this to you, assured that to your 
spirit and temper nothing is so grateful as to hear 
of the prosperity of our dear Lord's kingdom ; 
and of this I bless God I can now write you, in 
the remarkable entrance the Lord was pleased to 
give to his eminent servant, the Rev. Mr. White- 
field, lately amongst us. He came hither, last 
Saturday was fortnight, with a design of going 
on to Exeter that day. But wc entreated him 
to stay ; at length he inclined to, on which 
I immediately gave notice that he would preach 
in the evening, at six o'clock in my meeting- 
house ; and though it was a very rainy day, and 
the notice but short, the house was so crowded, 
even at the doors and windows, that at the lowest 
computation there was a thousand people. Such 
a crowd, with the profound silence and the lights 
we had in the house, made it solemn. But to 
see how the people were melted all in tears, was 
more affecting. 

'' He preached from those words, « Beginning, 
at Jerusalem,' which was the charge our Saviour 
gave his apostles, when he sent them forth into 
all nations to preach his gospel, that they should 
first preach it in Jerusalem, that wicked city, and 
make the first offer of pardon through his blood, 
to those vile miscreants that had so lately shed it. 



88 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

From whence he drew this proposition, " that the 
dear Lord Jesus Christ would have the vilest 
sinners to be saved," and applied it in such a 
moving manner, as melted down some of the 
most stout-hearted sinners there. I hope it was 
the Lord's passover night, when many consciences 
were sprinkled with his precious blood. 

" However, it was but the earnest of greater 
things done on the following Sabbath. Mr. 
Whitefield gave out that he would preach the 
next day, at eight in the morning, and at four in 
the afternoon. Because he would not interfere 
with the public worship any where ; and though 
it was so early the next morning, there were 
hundreds stood at the doors and windows, who 
could not get in. He preached a sermon from 
those words of our Lord's to the blind man whom 
he cured of his blindness, ' Dost thou believe on 
the Son of God ?' which seemed to aifect the 
people, and especially those of the richer sort, 
more than that in the evening ; at four, he 
preached again from those words, ' Old things 
are passed away, and all things are become new,' 
when there was such a concourse of people came 
together, that he was obliged to preach in a field 
adjacent to the meeting-house. There was then 
thought to be four thousand people, and still the 
greatest reverence and seriousness I ever saw in 
any of our public assemblies, and the word came 
with such power that, look where I would, I saw 
people affected. 

«' Surely the Lord God is with this servant of 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 89 

hiSj or else whence this power in his preaching ? 
was it ever known that any mere man could open 
a sinner's heart, and melt down the obstinate 
w^ill ? When men are pinched to the heart, and 
cry out, ' what shall I do to be saved ?' is this the 
effect of any human power ? No, Lord, this is 
thy own doing, for ' 'tis marvellous in our eyes,' 
and to thee we give the glory, while we are re- 
joicing in the instrument. For my ow^n part, I 
am not afraid to say I received him as an angel 
of the Lord ; I felt myself strengthened by him, 
and enjoyed the sweetest Sabbath in all my life, 
in my joint work with him. I preached, at our 
usual time, to a greater number than ever before, 
and I think with more power and success. I only 
add, our whole town seemed highly delighted w^ith 
him, and scarce any, openly at least, speak against 
him. My dear wife, who w^as once prejudiced 
against him, thinks now she loves him more than 
I do. He is, I believe, now at Bideford. I wish you 
could see him, I am sure you would immediately 
discern that spirit in him, w hich would make you 
value him. I expect him a longer time in his 
return from the west, when he will go to Taun- 
ton, whither Mr. Fawcett has invited him. And 
may God open for him a large door there, and 
wherever he preaches the, gospel." 

Such scenes as Mr. Darracott here records, 
would have made ordinary minds jealous. But 
eminent piety produces true magnanimity. The 
voice of heaven pronounced John Baptist, the 

8* 



90 MEMOIRS OF darracott;. 

greatest that ever was born of woman, and he it 
was who saw the rising honours of his successor 
with unenvying complacency, saying, " he must 
increase, but I must decrease. The man who is 
truly awake to the divine glory, and the interests 
of the church, will exult in seeing these objects 
secured, though it may be by means which 
will eclipse his fame. The language of our 
hearts should be, perish the honour of the 
creature, live the glory of the Saviour. 

But the sight exhibited, in the burying-ground 
adjoining to Mr. Darracott's place of worship, 
where the faithful pastor was seen sitting at the 
feet of one whom he had invited to preach to the 
flock, in the hope, that the stranger would succeed 
where he had failed, was supremely honourable to 
him, who sacrificed his own importance to their 
salvation. While many, who stood aloof from 
Whitefield, and nibbled at his fame, saw their own 
glory lost, in the ruin of their congregations ; 
Darracott enjoyed, in the prosperity of his flock, 
the highest honour and delight, next to the ap- 
probation of God. Thus the Saviour says, '^ Him 
that honoureth me, I will honour, and they that 
despise me, shall be lightly esteemed ;" for if we 
take care of Christ's honour, he will take care 
of ours. 

In the autumn of the following year, 1751, he 
received a visit from another eminent man, in 
very different circumstances. Dr. Doddridge 
his revered tutor, who was now on the verge of 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 91 

the grave, being advised to take a voyage to 
Lisbon, spent, on his way to Falmouth, a day 
with his beloved pupil. Mr. Darracott was the 
last friend he visited in his native country, and 
it may be easily conceived that the sight of such 
a disciple, in the zenith of his usefulness, af- 
forded exquisite delight to him who had trained 
him up for the ministry. The Doctor had 
indeed, been accustomed to call the minister of 
Wellington " his crown of rejoicing," and others 
had revered the tutor for the sake of the pupiL 
Mr. Walker, of Truro, once wrote to Mr. Darra-* 
cott thus : '' I have not your warm heart : 
Doddridge was not my tutor. Dear man ! I love 
him more, since I have known you." 

Mr. Darracott on a review of this visit, ex-^ 
claimed, '' Dear worthy man ! How shall I men^ 
tion him in the circumstances in which he is ? 
Ever since he was here, my thoughts have fol- 
lowed him. He came ' here, Sept. 22, in the 
evening, and went away next morning, about 
ten. He had a delightful Sabbath, he told me ; 
he heard dear Mr. Pearsall in the morning, and 
then took his leave of public ordinances with 
these words (Ps. xlii. 4.), and wept much. The 
morning he left us, he was in a happy frame, 
and had joys, which he said were even too great 
for his feeble body to sustain. He seemed 
weaker than when I left him at Bideford ; most 
thought he would not be able to bear the voyage ; 
however he has now tried it. He got to Falmouth, 
on Saturday, about seven in the evening, and on 



92 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

the Monday morning, he went on board. His 
servant told me he was very weak still, and took 
leave of him as if he should see him no more." 
Of the death of his tutor, Mr. Darracott was 
speedily informed by a letter from Dr. Cantley, 
his physician, at Lisbon. 

The friendship between these two devoted 
servants of Christ, was highly honourable to both. 
Darracott paid a willing homage to the literary 
eminence of his tutor ; who felt himself honoured 
and blessed in the superior usefulness of this 
favourite pupil. Very lovely and pleasant were 
they in their lives, and in death they vvere not 
long divided. For, though Doddridge consoled 
himself in the prospect of death, with the hope 
that one whom he had trained up for the ministry, 
would long survive him to carry on the work, 
now dropping from his tremulous hands, it 
seemed good to Him, who forms polished instru- 
ments, but can do without them, to call away 
Darracott, soon to rejoin his honoured friend in 
the mansions of immortal bliss. 

In the month of March, 1752, Mr, Darracott 
paid a visit to Kidderminster, where his old 
friend and fellow-student, Mr. Fawcett had suc- 
ceeded to the charge of the church, founded by 
Richard Baxter. These two brethren in work 
and in spirit, exchanged, for the mutual edification 
of their respective charges. Mr. Darracott was 
Avelcomed to the house of his affectionate corres- 
pondent, Joseph Williams, with an ardour which 



I 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 93 



will be best expressed by himself. In a letter to 
Mrs. Darracott, he says, 

" Kidderminster, March 25, 1752. 
" Dear Madam, 

"As what I shall say will cost you nothing, it 
is an inducement to put pen to paper, and try to 
say something to whom I owe so much obligation, 
which otherwise would be a dear groat's worth. 
I was deeply in debt before, which is now swelled 
to a mighty sum, by the valuable and important 
loan you so readily, so cheerfully, have lent us, 
and, though but for a few weeks, at the expense 
of so much self-denial. I scarcely knew another 
man upon earth, since the dear Dr. Doddridge 
is gone to heaven, at least not another in Europe, 
since dear Mr. Whitefield is gone to America, 
who merits so cordial a welcome to my house, 
my arms, my heart, or, who could impart to me, 
by his presence, so much pious joy, as dear Mr. 
Darracott : and yet, through the smiles of an 
indulgent Providence, I am not destitute of 
many very dear and desirable Christian friends. 
Nor yet do I know the minister, who, in the 
absence of our dear pastor, is more esteemed 
and beloved by the body of our society, at least, 
the more serious part of them. My joy is 
still increased, by the daily accession of joy he 
inspires into the breast of my dear other self, 
and Miss Molly Darracott, yea, and into every 
servant. 

'' Nor can I imagine, that an angel from heaven, 
should one of the shining host deign, in a visible 



94 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

form, to visit my habitation, could be so agree- 
able a guest, for he would rather terrify than 
cheer me by his presence, whereas this dear man 
diffuses a constant serenity and joy all around 
him. Before he came, my joy was full, and not 
a little increased by my dear Theodosia, hea- 
ven's last best gift ; but now indeed I have, to 
use our blessed Saviour's words, ' good measure 
pressed down, and running over,' given into my 
bosom. 

" I am hereby led to think — O what will the 
society of heaven be ! No doubt the love and 
favour of God, the smiles of the glorious Ema- 
nuel, will be the heaven of heaven ; and yet the 
society of glorious angels, and perfected spirits 
of just men, affords a delicious prospect. O 
what will it be, to be called unto the marriage- 
supper of the Lamb ! What will it be to sit 
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, with 
Moses, David, Paul, Peter, John, Baxter, Dod- 
dridge, the general assembly, and church of the 
first-born in the kingdom of our Father ! There 
my dear Darracott, my late dear Phebe, my pre- 
sent dear Jane, and you and I, and numbers of 
our dearest friends who are gone before, or will 
follow after, shall enjoy one another's company 
in such a manner, and to such advantage, as in 
the present state, we neither can conceive nor 
sustain. Haste that dear day, when there shall 
be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor 
any more pain ! 

" But my time is filled up, before my paper. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 95 

May these find you, dear madam, walking in the 
comforts of the Holy Ghost, who are daily walking 
in the fear of the Lord. May that heavenly guest 
abundantly make up the sweetness and joy, which 
the absence of your dearest earthly comforter 
must needs subtract. May his presence and soft 
whispers cheer you night and day, and guardian 
angels make you and yours their daily care. 
Above, or amidst all, may the grace of Him that 
hung on the tree be with your spirit. In him I 
am, with tenders of dear respect, and under man- 
ifold obligations, dear madam, your obliged hum- 
ble servant, 

" Joseph Williams." 

The laborious application of mind required to 
preach incessantly to the same people, made it 
necessary for Mr. Darracottto seek the relaxation 
produced by a change of scene, which admitted of 
preaching sermons already composed, to an au- 
dience to whom they would be new. When 
such measures arc adopted, with a view to the 
Redeemer's service and the edification of his 
church, they are eminently conducive to the use- 
fulness of ministers. The mind, which, by the 
perpetual recurrence of the same scenes and 
duties, was beginning to lose its elasticity, feels 
additional stimulus in a new circle ; and the man 
who, adding the charm of novelty to that of emi- 
nence, attracted attention at Kidderminster, re- 
turned again to Wellington, to appear at once a 
new preacher and an old friend. 



96 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

But the relaxation of Mr. Darracott was not 
idleness. He passed his time at Kidderminster, 
not in festive entertainments, which afford fewer 
pleasures than regrets, but in more abundant and 
diversified labours for the welfare of his fellow- 
men, which made his appear '' like angel visits 
short and far between." That this visit to Kid- 
derminster was eminently useful, he was after- 
wards informed by some delightful letters ; and 
on his return home, he adopted several of the 
plans, of which he had seen the success in the 
congregation of his friend. For, instead of 
returning to his own charge, dissatisfied with his 
lot, hankering after other scenes, and indisposed 
to the cheerful, vigorous discharge of his constant 
duties, Mr. Darracott appeared as " a giant 
refreshed, rejoicing as a strong man to run 
his race." 

Two causes of uneasiness, however, soon arose 
to disturb both the pastor and the flock. Mr. 
Darracott's growing family was but slenderly 
provided for, by the congregation at Wellington, 
and his reputation attracted invitations from other 
churches. Thus his own mind was embarrassed, 
both by the difficulty of providing for those who 
were dear to him, and by the uncertainty which 
he felt concerning the path of duty ; while his 
flock was alarmed at the prospect of losing one 
bound to them by so many ties, and whose place 
it would be so difficult to fill. 
In the autumn of the year, 1751, the pressing 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 97 

invitation of the church at South Petherton ex- 
cited most serious consideration, in consequence 
of the straitened circumstances of his increas- 
ing family. It appears that he consulted a lay 
friend, who wrote him the following letter, after 
having freely expressed his opinion concerning 
the proposed removal. 

"London, Dec. 14, 1751. 
'' Reverend and dear Sir, 

" It gives me a sensible pleasure that you 
took so kindly what I wrote, though in a stron- 
ger light than I intended it, for I am fully per- 
suaded you have not so learned Christ ; but, 
nevertheless, it is ordained they that preach the 
gospel should live by the gospel ; and where a 
large family has not a sufficient provision, it 
cannot fail to oppress a poor minister's spirits, 
and create him numberless anxieties to harass 
his mind, and weaken his hands, in his Master's 
work ; and as I feared this was the case with 
you, I proposed the remedy which you so mod- 
estly refuse ; but if you fall under any difficul- 
ties, pray don't be guilty of a culpable modesty 
in concealing it from me. 

" Oh, sir ) you have been used to such a plen- 
tiful harvest, you cannot tell how to bear a scan- 
ty crop ! Many, very many churches may say to 
you, as Gideon did of the Ephraimites, ' is not 
the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better 
than the vintage of Abiezer ?' Be not, therefore, 
discouraged, for that would be as when a stand- 
ard-bearer fainteth ; but pursue the excellent 
9 



98 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

method you are in, even plying the throne of 
grace, and God has promised, at evening time it 
shall be light. 

" Your ardent breathings after the conversion 
of souls is certainly not only lawful, but lauda- 
ble, and may what you have heard of your suc- 
cess at Kidderminster, be only as the earnest of 
what you are still to be favoured with. 

" I am in no apprehension that you can part 
with, or be indifferent about, the great truths of 
the gospel, of which you have tasted the sweet- 
ness, and felt the power in your own soul ; but I 
know sometimes the sweetness of temper you are 
possessed of, may, in such a manner, sheath your 
zesil as to make a rejecter of the truth, flatter 
himself you are not so sensible as you really are 
of its importance ; and therefore you will forgive 
me, that I gave you the caution. — What you did 
say I never heard ; but a person, who is both 
an Arminian and Arian, admired your charity 
both in and out of the pulpit : and, not to have 
given you a hint of it, would have been unfaith- 
fulness to our common Lord, and to you his 
faithful minister. 

" Nothing is more abused than the word cha- 
rity, nor more violently forced into the service 
of error. Whenever, therefore, I hear it used by 
persons that oppose the truths of the gospel, I 
esteem it as a watch-word, to put me on my 
guard : no wonder, then, I gave you the alarm. 
You really have warmed my heart with the 
sweet, judicious, and savoury model of your 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 99 

preaching, which you exhibit in your last, writ- 
ten like a man who feels every sentiment of the 
freeness and riches of divine grace, in such a 
manner as to feast his very soul, and thus effec- 
tually to raise him above all the frowns and dis- 
couragements a carnal world or lifeless profes- 
sors can cast upon him. May you every day be 
more and more invigorated, by an abundant in- 
crease of such spiritual sensations ; which the 
world know^ nothing of, and therefore reproach, 

'' If you have some such worldly hearers, the 
greater will the danger be of the serious Christian 
being starved by your removal, which must be 
the case, if the former have any influence in 
choosing your successor. May infinite Wisdom 
direct and determine your resolution ! 

" I shall not forget your friend, and by remem- 
brance of me and mine, at the throne of grace, 
you continually lay a fresh obligation upon, dear 
sir, your affectionate humble servant, 

'' Dennys De Berdt." 

This letter deserves high commendation. So 
pernicious consequences had followed from the 
indulgence of a false candour, that it behoved all 
who were solicitous for the glory of Christ, and 
the dearest interest of men, to watch against it 
with jealous care. The soul of Darracott, indeed, 
was exposed to the appearance, only by that which 
preserved him from the reality of indifference to 
the orthodox creed — a heart absorbed in solici- 
tude for the conversion of souls. This, however, 



100 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

rendered his friend's alarm riot less justifiable or 
commendable. 

The christian in private life, who expresses to 
a minister in a serious affectionate manner, the 
fears entertained concerning his sentiments and 
spirits, may do good upon a grand scale ; for he may, 
through the shepherd, benefit the whole flock. 
The minister who does not immediately welcome 
such hints, is most likely to need them ; and he 
who at first may spurn at the counsel, may, on 
reflection, see its wisdom, and exclaim with gra- 
titude, ^' faithful are the wounds of a friend." 

The opinion of the good man concerning Mr. 
Darracott's removal would not have been equally 
judicious, had he not himself contributed to ren- 
der it so by assisting to maintain his family at 
Wellington. Mr. Darracott had sunken some 
hundreds of his own private property, since he had 
resided at Wellington, and was now in some 
embarrassment. A friend, to whom he had made 
a disclosure of his affairs, immediately applied to 
that valuable institution in London, known to 
dissenters by the name of the Fund Board, which 
immediately voted him five pounds as an annual 
addition to his salary. This, with the contribu- 
tions of private friends, enabled him to extricate 
himself from his embarrassments. 

His difficulties returned indeed, as did the in- 
vitations of destitute churches. But, though he 
never could resolve to leave a scene of so much 
usefulness ; the claims of a delicate wife and ris- 
ing family induced him at one time to think of 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 101 

keeping a school. That this scheme was aban- 
doned should excite neither surprise nor regret. 
His ardent devotional soul bounded off from the 
instruction of youth in the rudiments of human 
learning, to lead the souls of men into the heights 
and depths of redeeming love. And if he hesi- 
tated to leave Wellington, lest he should not be 
so useful elsewhere ; was it not equally to be 
feared that the diminution of his time for pasto- 
ral studies and labours might injure the tone of 
his mind, and make a proportionable reduction 
from his success in the ministry. 

If some change w^as necessary, his removal 
should have been preferred. To turn to secular 
pursuits is to take away one half of the minister 
from his present charge, and from the service of 
religion ; but to remove to another and a larger 
sphere, is to give him more entirely to Christ and 
his church. 

To have seen Darracott turn from employing 
his powers almost day and night, in devising or 
executing schemes for the salvation of men, to 
the business of a school, which would have left 
him but a few fragments of time to employ with 
exhausted faculties in the exercises dearest to his 
heart, v/ould have been intolerable ; but to have 
beheld him in a new and enlarged sphere, with 
unembarrassed mind and undiminished ardour, 
employing all his powers for Christ, would have 
been delightful to every impartial eye, though it 
might have been attended with some pains to the 
people of his former charge. 
9* 



102 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. ' 

From this time, however, he laboured with 
increased success at Wellington. He seemed 
almost afraid and ashamed to speak of his pros- 
perity, but could not hide the divine goodness 
within his grateful heart. «« I have nothing to 
boast of," he says, '« being a poor, vile, unprofit- 
able servant. Yet I must own that God is 
deigning to favour me abundantly. I have not 
preached for some time, but in demonstration of 
the Spirit and in power. Fresh seals are con- 
tinually given to my ministry." Every m.onth he 
received some into the church, and proposed 
others to its communion. At one time, the whole 
congregation were under serious impressions. 
This is what, perhaps, scarcely any other minister 
in England has been able to say, though such 
scenes have not been rare in America. 

The following letter, written at the end of the 
year 17 53, expresses the joy of his heart in the 
care of Providence to his family, and the blessings 
which crowned his ministry. 

" I deserve, my dear sir, none of those warm 
expressions of your esteem, and least of all do I 
think myself worthy of that distinguishing re- 
gard my God is showing me, in the dispensa- 
tions of his providence ; I have reason to say, 
with peculiar propriety, ' what am I, and what is 
my father's house, that God should be pleased to 
take such care of me.' He spreads my table 
daily, and supplies my every want. Many a kind 
friend has he given me, among whom I shall evei 
gratefully acknowledge good Mr. W. I return 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 103 

you my hearty thanks, for the fresh instance of 
your love, which your present letter affords me, 
and desire you will make them acceptable 
to your church, at the next meeting. God who 
is rich in bounty, plentifully requite it to you 
and them. 

<' I have the pleasure to inform you, that the 
church here still continues to flourish, and God 
is adding to us, almost every month, such as I 
hope will be saved. This month twelve years, 
I was set up as pastor, since which time, we 
have admitted two hundred communicants want- 
ing two ; and this week we shall take in three 
more, and propose two, and many more are 
upon the threshold, whom I hope God will 
bring in. I never, at one time, saw more under 
a serious concern of soul than at present ; many 
have lately been joined to us from the established 
church, and appear to be excellent Christians. 
For these things, join with us in giving all the 
glory to God : " neither is he that planteth any 
thing, nor he that watereth." The sweet concur- 
rence of his providence and grace in favour of 
his cause and interest among us, is what I adore, 
though I am myself nothing. 

At this time, Mr. Darracott wrote the two fol- 
lowing letters to a friend. ^' A serious concern 
about salvation spreads both in town and coun- 
try ; and some very profligate and abandoned 
sinners are deeply struck. We have set up a 
charity school in a village four miles ofl'. One 
of the principal persons there, having been lately 



104 MKMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

concerned about his soul, chiefly by reading Dr, 
Doddridge's " Rise and Progress," and some ma- 
nuscript sermons of Mr. Walker's, has felt a con- 
cern for others ; and being a single man, and of 
some substance, has proposed to educate a few 
children. We have novv about thirty children 
on the list, and I have great hope that the seeds 
of piety may be sown in their minds, and that 
religion may enter their families, and take hold 
of the hearts of the parents too. I go, once a 
fortnight, to preach a lecture, which is well at- 
tended. I am going, this week, to catechise the 
children, which I shall do before the people, in 
hopes that it may impress them. It is with great 
joy I tell you, that God has been pleased Id touch 
the hearts of several here, since I wrote you last, 
one of the most notorious profligates in the place, 
and some more reputable characters. 

*' A few instances of success, which God in 
the riches of his mercy, has lately favoured me 
with, have comforted me greatly. One poor 
man, particularly, who, from the grossest igno- 
rance and stupidity, is so enlightened in the 
knowledge of Christ, so awakened to concern 
for his own soul and for others, as surprises us all ; 
for, a little while ago, he could not read a line, 
but now, after vast pains, he can read a chapter 
in the Testament ; nor can he express his love to 
that book, or the delight he feels in reading it. 
The trials he has met with from a wicked partner 
are exceedingly great, while the sweet, humble, 
and patient spirit with which he bears them is 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 105 

truly wonderful. He has brought several of his 
comrades to our private meetings, and some of 
them appear concerned. 

But what has most affected my heart, is the 
case of a stranger who has been some time in 
these parts. He is a young person, known by 
the name of Dr. Vanghable ; he was born at Paris, 
and is by education a Roman Catholic. He has 
travelled in most parts of Europe, and has been 
in England eleven years past. He was tumbler, 
<fec. to Smith, a mountebank doctor, and, for the 
two last years, has mounted the stage for himself. 
He has had a stage here, for these three months, 
and about a month ago, on a Lord's day evening, 
he came to our place of worship ; this was the 
first time, he says, he was ever in a dissenting 
meeting-house. I was then preaching on the 
parable of the lost sheep, under which sermon he 
was so struck that he could not conceal it. He 
came the next evening, and was more affected 
still. Upon this, I wrote him a letter, and gave 
him an invitation to my house, which he soon 
accepted. I was with him alone, nearly two hours, 
and prayed with him. I found him exceedingly 
ignorant, yet deeply concerned about his soul, 
desirous to know what to do, and longing to leave 
his present way of life. I have put into his hands 
some suitable books, which he reads very care- 
fully. 

He has attended me ever since, and I have had 
a second intenievv with him, by which I learn 
that his concern increases ; and yet, I cannot but 



106 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

fear greatly for him, as he cannot at present dis- 
engage himself from the stage, and is now going 
from us into Devonshire. He assures me, how- 
ever, that he will spend a Sabbath, once a fortnight, 
with me. His deportment on the stage, and 
elsewhere, is quit^; changed, and he assures me 
he would be glad to leave this way of life, could 
he by any means get his bread ; but he was froni 
his infancy brought up to tumbling, and does not 
know what to turn his hand to. He has a wife, 
who is a great snare to him ; mountains of diffi- 
culty lie in the way, but real grace will make 
him more than conqueror." 

In such scenes as these, Mr. Darracott passed 
his days ; for, though we find on record only a 
few singular cases, he was continually enjoying 
such tokens of the divine approbation on his 
labours. His heart was overwhelmed with de- 
light, and he gratefully acknowledged that the 
Fountain of bliss had indulged him with the most 
exquisite pleasures below the skies. Nor, indeed, 
are such honours given to any v/ho undervalue 
them ; for they who would taste with the Saviour 
the pre-eminent delights of beneficence, must, 
like him, be ready to make any sacrifice for 
this object, and when they attain it, feel satis- 
fied. 

In the year 1755, Mr. Darracott published his 
" Scripture marks of Salvation." They were 
originally preached as sermons, a;3d, having prov- 
ed very useful to many of his hearers, were by 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 107 

them requested in a more permanent form, that 
the closet niight revive the impressions made in 
the church. 

This little pamphlet, is warm with the devotion 
of the writer's heart. It is in just such a strain, 
as we might suppose distinguished the sermons, 
which were honoured with so much success. 
The Saviour and his Spirit are uppermost in the 
mind of this writer, who turns away our attention 
from himself, and from every other object, to fix 
our whole power of reflection upon our own 
heart and conscience ; that we may ascertain, 
whether or not we have a portion in the Re- 
deemer's love. This publication considerably in- 
creased his correspondence, which was already 
so extensive as to occupy a large portion of his 
time. He sent the '' Scripture Marks" into many 
parts of England and Scotland; for, though the 
modern tracts were not then thought of, Mr. 
Darracott, and his pious contemporaries, were 
diligent in distributing cheap books on the most 
important subjects. 

It has been already noticed, that Mr. Darracott 
was visited with afflictions, as a counterpoise to 
his prosperity. The loss of three children, two 
of them in one day, deeply wounded his affec- 
tionate heart. He was called, in the year 1756, 
to resign a fourth child ; on which occasion, his 
friends, who knew the tenderness of his feelings, 
strove to alleviate his sorrows by their sympathy. 
Among others, his old college companion, Mr. 



108 MEMOIRS OF DARKACOTT. 

Pearsall, of Taunton, wrote hini a letter rich in 
consolations. His own devout submission, he 
expressed in the following lines on the words of 
David, " Be still, and know that I am God." 

I. 

In humble duly I would bow, 

My God, before thy feet j 
Convinc'd whate'er thou dust is right, 

I cheerfully subinit. 

IT. 

Thy gifts I thankfully would own, 

As altogether free ; 
And what thou tak'st, I can't dispute, 

Because thou gav'st it me. 

III. 

Bless'd be thy name, who more hast given. 

Than thou wilt ever take ; 
Thou giv'st in covenant thyself, 

No I wilt this covenant break. 

IV. 

Assure my soul, I have a part 

In such a lasting bliss ; 
Whatever comfort thou wilt take, 

I can't that blessing miss. 

v. 

Let all my other comforts go, 

If thou, my God, remain ; 
Happy in thee, I'll bear the loss. 

Without a moment's pain. 

At the commencement of the year 17 57, the 
distresses of the poor affected Mr. Darracott so 
powerfully, that he exerted himself with great 
zeal in their behalf. He made a proposal to the 
principal persons in the town, to raise a subscrip- 
tion for their relief, to which he contributed 
himself more largely than his own straitened 



J 



MEMOIKS OF DARRACOTT. 109 

circumstances seemed to justify. The subscrip- 
tion succeeded, beyond the expectation of every 
one ; and when he was assisting at the parish 
meeting for the distribution of the money, he 
seized the opportunity to propose a society for 
the reformation of manners, by putting into 
execution the laws against profaneness. In the 
speech which he delivered to induce the meeting 
to concur, he urged the state of the nation, which 
had lately called for a general fast, to avert the 
judgments of heaven. He was heard with pro- 
found attention, and his proposal was unanimously 
adopted. 

It was agreed to begin with executing the laws 
against Sabbath-breaking. An abstract of these 
was drawn up, and fixed on the doors of all 
the places of worship, concluding with these 
words. " Zeal for the glory of God, and the 
honour of the Sabbath, love to our king and 
country, and desire to avert the divine judgments 
from us, have determined the churchwardens and 
others to put these laws into execution against 
all persons without distinction, whereof they 
give this public notice." The chief men of the 
town perambulated the streets by turns, every 
Lord's day, to watch that no violation of the law 
took place. 

" It is delightful," says Mr. Darracott, " to 
see the happy effects ; places of public worship 
crowded ; ale-houses empty ; nothing done in the 
shops of barbers ; no idle walkers in the streets ; 
but an air of solemnity through the whole town.'' 
10 



110 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT- 

At the close of the first Sabbath, after adopt- 
ing these new measures, Mr. Darracott preached 
on the words of Nehemiah, " Then contended I 
with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, what 
evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sab- 
bath-day ?" The persons who were appointed 
to inspect the town, took with them '' Reynold's 
Compassionate Address," which they left in ale- 
houses, and places of evil resort. This was the 
best part of their proceedings ; for vice is a men- 
tal evil, which requires moral rather than physi- 
cal remedies. All human laws against irreligion 
prove like spiders' webs, which entangle only the 
smaller flies, while the great offenders burst 
through them with impunity. 

About this time, a recruiting serjeant came 
into the town, and, being a native of Scotland, 
went to meeting. While Mr. Darracott was 
preaching on the words of Jeremiah, " I heark- 
ened and heard, but they spake not aright : no 
man repented him of ^his wickedness, saying, 
what have I done ? every one turneth to his 
course as the horse rusheth into the battle ;" the 
word pierced his heart with intolerable anguish, 
compelling him to cry aloud '^ what have I 
done ?" From that day the most delightful 
change was manifest in all his tempers, conver- 
sation, and deportment. 

His account of his former life bore a striking 
resemblance to that of Colonel Gardiner. After 
a pious education, he had rushed into the paths 
of sin, and entered the army when he was only 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. Ill 

fourteen years old. He had been six and twen- 
ty years in the military life, and had twice seen 
his regiment cut to pieces almost to a man. He 
had also narrowly escaped death at sea many 
times. But all the dispensations of Providence, 
as w^ell as all the sermons he had heard (for, 
amidst all his wickedness, he attended at public 
worship) left him not only unchanged, but unim- 
pressed ; so that he used to say, '^ it is not pos- 
sible for any thing ta touch my heart." 

But the extraordinary influence of the Divine 
Spirit, which attended Mr. Darracott's preaching, 
at last effected the mighty task. Swearing, 
drunkenness, and impious defiance of heaven, 
were at once exchanged for prayer, praise, strict- 
ness of morals, and fervour of devotion. He 
stayed only three weeks in the town ; and as he 
earnestly requested to be admitted to communion 
with the church ; they, very properly, consented 
to deviate so far from their usual practice as to 
receive him, upon this short acquaintance. The 
day before he left them, he sat down at the 
Lord's table, to the great edification of all par- 
ties, w^ho exclaimed, " What hath God wrought !" 
Mr. Darracott offered up for him a parting pray- 
er, when the poor man fell on the neck of his 
father in Christ, in floods of tears, blessing God 
that he had ever seen his face. 

Shortly after this occurrence, Mr. Darracott 
received a visit from Mr. Walker, of Truro. 
This pious clergyman came to see the good work 
carrying on by means of his dissenting bro- 



112 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

ther, and to warm his own heart, by bringing it 
near one which was a flame of fire in the Re- 
deemer's service. How much he was delighted 
with the scene which he beheld at Wellington, 
he expressed in a letter to Mr, Darracott, on 
his return. 

" Truro, Bee. 15, 1757. 
" Reverend and dear Sir, 

«^ Why is his letter so long in coming ? you 
have been saying. He has not forgotten us. 
Perhaps some mischief has befallen him ; he is 
sick, or brought into trouble. No ; the Lord be 
praised, there is none of this. But my people, 
my dear people, they had not seen me of so long 
a season ; and don't you think they had much to 
say to me, and I to them ? I had been much 
reproved in my absence, for the coldness of my 
heart, and a shameful lifelessness to call upon the 
Lord and to sinners. O how did the zeal of 
others reprove me ! 

Well, I hope I got a little spark among you, 
and that something like zeal is kindled in the 
coldest heart in the world. I have to thank 
God for his love to me at Wellington, in a spe- 
cial manner, and desire to share always in the 
prayers of the good people I saw there, and to 
be especially remembered to that honest soul 
who was so kindly my companion to Collump- 
ton. But you are asking, how is it at Truro ? 
are there any awakenings, since your return ? 
Why, there were many wet eyes, last Sunday, 
among the backsliders. This is encouragement. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 113 

The Lord may please to bless us with one har- 
vest more. I wish I had more heart to pray and 
labour for poor souls. 

" My dear sir, this is our business ; and how 
honourable, how gainful, how delightful ! Sure 
it is the most reasonable, the highest gratifica- 
tion, to see children begotten to God under our 
ministry. And, methinks, an hour spent with one 
of these little ones, whom the Lord has given 
me, is infinitely an overpayment for all I am 
called to suflFer, for whole years, in the cause of 
our Master. And what then will the joy be 
hereafter ! I love to think how happy we shall 
be in heaven together ; and all God's people with 
us. Who, what shall separate us then from our 
work ? ^' Shall tribulation, &c. ?" 'Tis an honour 
to have the name cast out, or to be cast out in 
person, for Jesus and souls. To turn a soul from 
Satan to God, my friend, Owhat a rich retribu- 
tion for the loss of all things ! 

" But stop, and look nearer home. Sir, I have 
a very bad heart, which needs much establishment 
in that faith which purifies. Could you see the 
"bottonx of me, you would see every thing a 
man would abhor, particularly pride with two 
heads taller than the rest, I mean desire of 
esteem, and secret self-applause. These mon- 
sters continually thrust in their faces, which ever 
way I look ; and wherever I am, they are sure to 
be of the company. Pretty often, indeed, they 
receive a stunning knock on the head ; and then I 
seem to get rid of them a little ; but even then I 
10* 



114 MEMOIRS OF DA.RRACOTT. 

never look back, but I see they are dogging me. 
Do you know how I may use them so roughly as 
to be quite quit of their company ? Or is there not 
reason to think, that they find I am still too fond 
of them, and therefore follow me, spaniel-like, 
though they are used like dogs ? But stop again. 
Is not this too light on so interesting a subject ? 
Why, I know not how, the thought of dear old 
Williams was on my mind, and it gave me a 
dash of his manner. 

'•Pray tell me how you do, and how your 
people are, especially those under impressions 
when I w^as with you ; and how is dear Mrs. 
Darracott. You must tell me every thing. I 
have a high opinion of the work with you; and 
to be plain, saw nothing like it in my long 
journey. O how should the thought of what 
God has done by you humble you ! How should 
it make all of you fear always ; lest, being so dis- 
tinguished, any of you, by the least misconduct or 
compliance, should strike a dagger at once 
through the heart of his Master, and the souls of 
his neighbours. May I judge by myself, we are 
all apt to be too selfish, and not to take our mea- 
sures so much as we should, with a compassionate 
regard to those who are without ; and who, to all 
appearance, must lie and perish in their sins, 
unless we help them in our respective places." 

From the close of the year 1757, may be dated 
the termination of Mr. Darracott's most distin- 
guished success ; for, though he continued to 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 115 

preach nearly a year afterwards, with marks of 
divine approbation, his health began to decline, 
and his labours were necessarily abridged. 

Of this he soon began to complain. When a 
minister's heart is not in the right place, his flock 
will perceive the declension of which he is in- 
sensible ; but one who is alive to the great ob- 
jects of his ministry, will be the first to see and 
feel, when it is not with them as in former days. 
In a letter to a friend, Mr. Darracott says, 

" Wellington, Jan. 8, 1757. 

*« I have not seen that success, the past year, 
which I have known in some former years, but I 
hope something was done ; and, at the conclusion, 
a sweet young creature, about seventeen, was 
proposed to cur communion, which gave me 
great delight, and may attract others. I have 
also had some certain accounts of my little books 
being blessed. Some of them are in Newgate, 
and have been useful to some poor condemned 
malefactors there, who are thought to have ob- 
tained mercy of the Lord. 

'( Mr. Walker writes last week, from Truro, 
thus : ' My dear friend will rejoice with me in 
the new field of usefulness which the Lord has 
opened to me, by the coming of two hundred 
soldiers into the town. My heart was greatly 
stirred up towards them, and so were many of my 
dear society ; and the Spirit has been won- 
derfully poured out upon these poor creatures ; 
insomuch that no less than one hundred of them 



116 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

have been awakened, and this, in about three 
weeks. The work has been deep with many of 
them ; insomuch that twenty of them are so 
promising, that I shall put them together in a 
society." 

Thus he consoled himself, when he feared his 
own usefulness was declining, by turning to be- 
hold the succes of a brother's labours. This is 
exactly the spirit which becomes a minister of 
Christ ; for he that can enjoy no prosperity but 
that which attends his own ministry, has reason 
to fear, that iiotwithstanding his usefulness, he is 
in a great measure preaching himself, and not 
Christ Jesus the Lord. To warn his disciples 
against confidence in their success, without due 
regard to their spirit, our Lord said to those who 
exclaimed '^ Lord, even the devils are subject to 
us through thy name ; in this rejoice not, that the 
devils are subject to you, but rather rejoice that 
your names are written in heaven. For many 
shall say to me in the last day, Lord, Lord, have 
we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name 
cast out devils, and in thy name done many won- 
derful works ? And then will I profess to them, 
I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work 
iniquity." 

After an attack of illness, he wrote, " I hope 
my return to life has been in mercy, especially to 
some persons in Broadway, where I have lately 
bestowed a little labour that seems to be attended 
with a remarkable blessing. I went, by appoint- 
ment, last Sunday evening, to give them a lecture ; 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 117 

many seemed affected : but, in conversation and 
religious exercises at the house where I lodged, it 
was a more affecting season still. They desired 
me to stay and preach the following evening, and 
I w^as not very reluctant, as I saw some impression 
made : a greater number were gathered together, 
and the word still more blessed. Many, again 
followed me to my lodgings, where we had ano- 
ther affecting season. I was called upon, next 
morning, to visit a person that was under great 
distress, by the word he had heard the night be- 
fore : talking and praying with him greatly af- 
fected me, and I left them, with much satisfac- 
tion in what I saw." 

Thus Mr. Darracott enlarged his sphere, by 
visiting the adjacent tow^ns and villages, to seek 
for the sheep of Christ wherever he could find 
them. He was regarded as the affectionate 
friend of the souls of men, and all who began to 
feel solicitous for their salvation, looked to him 
for counsel and aid. What distinction can be 
more exalted ? But, as the post of honour is the 
post of labour ; it brought upon him a load of 
engagements, which nothing but love to the work 
could make pleasant. 

That his own peculiar charge had no reason to 
complain of having but half their pastor's heart, 
or of suffering injury from the extension of his 
labours in every direction, the following letter 
will prove, 

''Dec. 24, 1757. 

^^ I have lately found more ardent desires to be 



118 MEMOIRS or DARRACOTT. 

useful, and my dear people have been more prayer^ 
ful, for a blessing. And, I do think, more has been 
done in a way of awakening, in two or three 
weeks, than I recollect for this twelvemonth. It 
is principally, too, among the young women. I 
had more than twenty such with me, last Sabbath 
evening : they meet and pray together. My dear 
daughter is one of them, and fills my heart with 
joy. I cheerfully hope the impressions will not 
be all like the early dew or morning cloud ; 
though, I must own, I have seen so much of im- 
pressions dying away, that I cannot be so san- 
guine as I have been." 

He had now increased the number of his com- 
municants, from twenty-eight, to nearly three 
hundred. Several huncjreds more had been deeply 
impressed by his preaching, but some of them had 
been removed by Providence ; and the religion of 
others proved like the morning cloud or the 
early dew that hasteth away. The place of wor- 
ship, though it had been enlarged, was still too 
small ; for numbers stood at the doors. The coun- 
try around saw, with astonishment, multitudes 
flock into the town, eager to hear the word which 
they formerly despised. 

But this success was chiefly among the poor ; 
for the greater part of the rich, whether among 
the original members of his own congregation, 
the inhabitants of the town, or the residents in 
the adjacent villages, despised his preaching as 
mere enthusiasm. He was^ however, in the 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 119 

highest degree a rational preacher ; for he care- 
fully sought to ascertain the sentiments of the 
divine mind, the source of reason, and preached 
them with the fervour which they should excite 
in all reasonable minds. The purity of Mr. 
Darracott's motives, was seen by the satisfaction 
he felt in his success among the poor, amidst 
all the contempt of the rich. His own mind 
was formed for more elevated society, and his 
manners procured him a respectful w^elcome 
among some select friends of rank and title. But 
he laboured, like his Master, to preach glad 
tidings to the poor, and was satisfied with being 
able, like. him, to rejoice and say, '' I thank thee, 
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou 
hast hidden these things from the wise and pru- 
dent, and revealed them to babes ; even so, 
Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight." 

The time now drew near that this faithful ser- 
vant should return, to give up his account to him 
that sent him. He was, therefore, previously tried 
to see whether he could suffer as nobly as he had 
laboured for God ; and the concluding scene 
exhibits an example of passive religion, even 
more eminent than the specimen of active devo- 
tion which his life has afforded. If ministers 
have already been taught how to live. Christians 
may now come and learn how to die. 



120 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 



CHAPTER IV. 

MR. DARRACOTt's LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH. 

The first attack of the disorder which removed 
Mr. Darracott from this world, was in the year 
1757, but from this he recovered. His head, 
however, was so severely affected by the com- j 
plaint, that his labours, the delight of his heart, ' 
were much impeded. To such men as Mr. 
Darracott, nothing is so fatiguing as inaction. 
Like angels, they enjoy the activity to which 
their Maker calls them, and only dread the chain 
that binds their hands, the clay that impedes their i 
wings. It was, therefore, regarded by the pastor j 
of Wellington as a favour, that, when his exertions 
were diminished, he w^as soon called home to the 
more vital existence of the blessed. 

In the middle of the following year, the attacks 
became more violent. Four times, in eight days, j 
he was seized in an alarming manner. The i 
first time was, on the morning of the Lord's day, I 
which distressed him with the apprehension of ' 
not being able to feed his flock. He went through 
the services of the day, however, with more than 
ordinary solemnity, if with less than his usual 
animation. His audience were much affected ; 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 121 

for he told them he felt all the solemn awe of a 
man about to put off this tabernacle. 

There is a calm seriousness more impressive 
than the most rapturous animation. In this, the 
celebrated President Edwards, of New England, 
excelled. Too feeble to give effect to his compo- 
sitions by physical means ; he supplied every 
defect by the seriousness of eternity, which re- 
minded his hearers of such scenes of transcendent 
devotion, as his own memoirs exhibit. This, 
however, must have been peculiarly impressive 
to the congregation at Wellington ; as they had 
been accustomed to a manner, which formed a 
perfect contrast to the stillness of death ; for it 
has been shrewdly observed, that Mr. Darracott 
looked " like one that lived upon live things." 

The last of the repeated attacks which Mr. 
Darracott suffered, was in the pulpit, on the fol- 
lowing Friday, when he was a second time led 
out of the congregation by some of his afflicted 
flock. He recovered again so far, as to preach 
on the following Lord's-day, on the words which 
afforded him peculiar consolation : " Although 
my house be not so with God ; yet hath he made 
with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all 
things and sure : this is all my salvation, and all 
my desire, although he make me not to grow." 

Under the impression of approaching morta- 
lity, he wrote to a friend, with devout submission, 
11 



122 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

expressing a joyful hope of soon being for ever 
with Christ. 

On the eleventh of July, 1759, he made a kind 
of codicil to his will, giving directions concern- 
ing his funeral, and other affairs connected with 
his death. This instrument, instead of the beau- 
tiful, neat hand, which distinguishes his former 
manuscripts, discovers the tremulousness of death, 
which renders it scarcely legible. He so far 
recovered, as to afford his family and flock a 
gleam of hope. But he complains of dragging 
on heavily, in his private devotions, and public 
labours. 

The first confident expectation of death which 
Mr. Darracott expressed, was when a month 
elapsed, without any addition to his church. 
'' Now," said he, " I believe I am near my end : 
my work is done, and I am going home to my 
rest." He doubtless had, as the Apostle says, 
'« the sentence of death in himself," which jus- 
tified his conclusion ; for the mere suspension 
of ordinary success would not have proved that 
he was near his home. Many have had what 
they called several harvests ; seasons, in which 
they reaped with gladness, the fruit of the seed 
which they had long ago sown in tears. But it 
was the privilege of Darracott to have but one 
harvest, which lasted through almost all his life, 
and to go quickly home at the close of it, to re- 
ceive the plaudit of the Lord of harvest. 

With this impression of approaching death, (to 
him no gloomy one) he administered the Lord's 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 123 

supper, for the last time, Dec. 3, 1758. On the 
evening of that day, he composed a meditation^ 
which he enclosed in a letter to a friend in Lon- 
don. It furnishes a fine specimen of that pecu- 
liar kind of devotional exercise, often recommen- 
ded in the Scriptures, but unhappily little known 
or practised among christians. This meditation 
breathes the language of an exalted Christian on 
the borders of Paradise. 

" Is this the voice of my dear Lord ? ' Surely 
I come quickly.' Amen, says my willing, joyful 
soul, even so, come Lord Jesus ! Come for I 
long to have done with this poor low life ; to 
have done with its burthens, its sorrows, and its 
snares. Come, for I grow weary of this painful 
distance, and long to be at home : long to be 
with thee, where thou art, that I may behold thy 
glory. 

'' Come, then, blessed Jesus, as soon as thou 
pleasest, and burst asunder these bonds of clay, 
which hold me from thee; break down these 
separating walls, which hinder me from thine 
embrace. Death is no more my dread, but 
rather the object of my desire. I welcome the 
stroke, which will prove so friendly to me ; which 
will knock off my fetters, throw open my prison 
doors, and set my soul at liberty ; which will 
free me (transporting thought !) from all those 
remainders of indwelling sin, under which I have 
long groaned in this tabernacle, and with which 
I have been maintaining a constant and painful 
conflict ; but which all my weeping and praying. 



124 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

all my attending divine ordinances, could never 
entirely cure me of : yea, will perfectly and for 
ever free me from all my complaints ; give me 
the answer of all my prayers ; and put me at 
once in the eternal possession of my warmest 
wishes and hopes, even the sweet, beatifying pre- 
sence of thee, O blessed Jesus ! ' whom having 
not seen, I love, and in whom, though now I see 
thee not, yet believing, I rejoice, with joy un- 
speakable and full of glory.' 

" This world has now no more charms to at- 
tract my heart, or make me wish a moment's 
longer stay. I have no engagements to delay 
my farewell. Nothing to detain me now. My 
soul is on the wing. Joyfully do I quit mortali- 
ty, and here cheerfully take my leave of all I 
ever held dear below. 

" Farewell, my dear Christian friends ; I have 
taken sweet counsel with you in the way ; but 
I leave you for sweeter, better converse above. 
You will soon follow me, and then our delight- 
ful communion shall be uninterrupted, as well as 
perfect, and our society be broken up no more 
for ever. 

<« Farewell, in particular, my dearest . 

How has our friendship ripened almost to the 
maturity of heaven ! How tenderly and closely 
are our hearts knit to one another ! Nor shall 
the sweet union be dissolved by death. Being 
one in Christ, we shall be one forever. With 
what eternal thankfulness shall we remember 



HEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 125 

that word, '* Christ is all in all ?'' He was so 
then, indeed, and he will ever be so. 

" Mourn not that I go to Jesus first. It is 
but a little while, and you will come after. And 
O ! with what joy, think you, shall I welcome 
your arrival on the heavenly shore, and conduct 
you to him, whom our souls so dearly love ? 
What though we meet no more at Wellington, 
we shall, we assuredly shall, embrace one an- 
other in heaven, never to part more. Till then, 
adieu ! and know, I leave you with the warmest 
wishes of all felicity to attend you, and the most 
grateful overflowings of heart, for all the kindest 
tokens of the most endearing friendship I ever 
received from you. 

*• Farewell, thou my dearest wife I my most 
affectionate delightful companion in heaven's 
road, whom God in the greatest mercy gave me, 
and has thus to the end of my race graciously 
continued to me ! For all thy care, thy love, thy 
prayers, I bless my God, and thank thee in these 
departing moments. But, dear as thou art, and 
dearest of all that is mortal I hold thee, I now 
find it easy to part from thee, to go to that Jesus, 
thine and mine, who is infinitely more dear to 
me. With him I cheerfully leave thee, nor doubt 
his care of thee, who has loved thee, and given 
himself for thee, 'Tis but a short separation we 
shall have ; our spirits will soon reunite, and then, 
never, never know separation more. For as we 
have been companions in the patience and tribu- 
11* 



126 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

lation of our Lord's kingdom, we shall assuredly 
be so in his glory. 

" Farewell, my dear children ! I leave you ; but 
God has bound himself by a most inviolable pro- 
mise, to take care of you. Only choose him for 
your own God, who has been your father's God, 
and then, though I leave you exposed in the 
waves of a dangerous and wicked world. Provi- 
dence, eternal and mighty Providence, has under- 
taken to pilot and preserve you. With comfortable 
hope, therefore, I bid you my last adieu ; pleading 
the faithful and true promise, saying as the 
patriarch, ' I die,' my dear children, ' but God 
will be with you : praying in humble faith, that 
your souls, with those of your parents, may be 
bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord 
your God.' 

'^ Farewell, ye my dear people ! to whom I 
have been preaching the everlasting gospel, that 
gospel, which is now all my hope, and all my 
joy. Many, very many of you, are my present 
rejoicing, and will be my eternal crown of glory. 
And now I am leaving you, I bless God for all 
the success he has been graciously pleased to give 
my poor labours among you ; for all the com- 
fortable seasons of grace I have enjoyed with you. 
I part with you, this day, at the sacred table of 
our blessed Lord, in the confidence and hope, 
that though I shall drink no more with you this 
fruit of the vine, I shall drink it new with you, in 
the kingdom of our heavenly Father. Only, my 
brethren, my dearly beloved and longed for, my 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 127 

joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my 
dearly beloved. 

" But, for the rest of you, I mourn to think in 
what a miserable condition I am leaving you ; 
and though you will no more hear my voice, and 
have often, alas ! heard it to no purpose, this 
once, hear, and regard my dying charge — that 
you do not continue in a Christless and uncon- 
verted state, nor meet me in that state, at the 
day of judgment. 

'' And now, farewell praying and preaching ! 
my most delightful work ! Farewell, ye Sab- 
baths and sacraments, and all divine ordinances ! 
I have now done with you all, and you have done 
all that was to be done for me. As the manna, 
and the rock, in the wilderness, you have sup- 
plied me with sweet refreshment by the way ; 
and now^ I am leaving you, I bless my God for 
all the comfort and edification I have received by 
your means, as the appointed channel of divine 
communications. But now I have no more need 
of you. I am going to the God of ordinances ; to 
that fountain of living waters, which has filled 
these pools below ; and, instead of sipping at the 
streams, I shall now be for ever satisfied from the 
fountain-head. 

" Farewell now, my poor body ! Thou shalt 
be no more a clog to my active spirit, no more 
hinder me in the service of God, no more ensnare 
my soul, and pollute it with sin. And now, an 
everlasting farewell to all sins and sorrows, all 
doubts and fears, conflicts and temptations ! 



128 MEMOIRS OF DARHACOTT. 

Farewell to earth and all terrestrial scenes ! Ye 
are now no more ! An infinitely brighter pros- 
pect opens to me !" 

*' See the guardian angels nigh, 
Wait to waft my soul on high 1 
See the golden gates display'd ! 
See the crown to grace my head ! 
See a flood of sacred hght, 
Which shall yield no more to night ! 
Transitory world, farewell ! 
Jesus calls with him to dwell." 

Doddridge^s Hymns. 

But, while his affliction seem.ed only to afford 
him the lively anticipation of heaven, it alarmed 
the fears of many Christian friends, who poured 
in their letters of sympathy and consolation. 
Among the rest, his brother Pearsall wrote, '' I am 
distressed for thee, my brother. I cannot but be 
afflicted till I hear of your restoration. I yet 
bless God, that my lamentation is not over a 
dead friend, as David's was. May he who 
has so often raised up from beds of sickness, 
raise you up, and bring you forth as gold. I pity 
poor Mrs. Darracott under her heavy loads of 
trouble ; the clouds so often returning after the 
rain." 

Another wave seemed to bear him towards the 
shore again ; for his disorder, for some time, was so 
far alleviated that he was able to write to a friend 
as if in expectation of returning to life and useful- 
ness : this, which was his last letter, was dated 
January 2, 1759. It is as follows : 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 129 

" My dear friend, 

" Though I am hardly yet able to hold my pen, 
I am willing to give you this satisfaction, that I 
am recovering, by writing, though ever so short 
a letter. I have been longer in pain than I re- 
member ever to have been before, and for some 
part of the time, it has been sharp pain indeed. 
But for ever blessed be the rich goodness of my 
God, I hope I have experienced his supporting 
and comforting power towards me. So that, 
though the flesh could not but groan, the spirit 
did not murmur, but sweetly bowed in submis- 
sion, as believing my heavenly Father had no 
other than merciful designs in all, and whatever 
was the issue, of which I was never more indif- 
ferent, it would be all well. 

" And now it has pleased him, who has called 
home his eminent servant Hervey, to continue a 
little longer in the world, his unworthy servant 
Darracott. O that it may quicken me, to be 
found more faithful and zealous in his service : 
then, too, shall my dismission be signed, in the 
appointed time and way, and I shall follow them 
who have been my dear delighful companions, to 
live for ever with them, and with that Jesus whom 
we loved, and in whom we were united. 

" I have had a solitary Sabbath, besides the 
loss of some other seasons, I used to enjoy in 
these holydays. Blessed be God, I can look 
back upon these times with pleasure now, in 
my confinement, and say, Lord, thou knowest 
I have loved thy service, and the place of thy 



130 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

habitation has been sweet tome. Your letter to 
my daughter, this morning, affects me tenderly. 
Be incessant in your prayers for me, and join 
your praises with mine. Accept our joint love, 
and be assured, in all the languor of nature, I 
still feel the flame of our religious friendship 
burns strong, nor shall death quench it for ever ; 
ever shall I be yours. Pray for me, that if it be 
the will of God, and our dear Lord Jesus, I may 
be strengthened to go forth next Lord's day. 

'^ Risdon Darracott." 
He had written, the day before, to his friend 
Mr. Fawcett, of Kidderminster, saying, '^ when- 
ever it shall please God to take me away, as I 
hope you will survive me, I shall leave an office of 
friendship to be performed by you, which you 
will not deny me, especially as you will see the 
glory of God, and the good of souls, are the great 
things I aim at. I find somewhat infinitely sooth- 
ing and cheering, in these four lines, which our 
dear tutor has put into the mouth of a child : 

*' If to correct me be his will, 
I'll beai: it with submission still ; 
A tender Father sure he proves, 
And but corrects, because he loves." 

Doddridge's verses for Children. 

" Oh ! what less than a thousand arguments in 
that one, for the most cordial, sweet, humble 
submission ? O, my dear brother, how sweet to 
see our comforts and our crosses, our joyful and 
mournful circumstances, our life and our death, 
all in the hands of such a Father ; all equally 



I 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 13! 

under his direction, and all evidently designed 
by him for our good ; all proceeding from his 
everlasting love which he had for us, terminating 
at last in our everlasting salvation ! This lays 
an easy foundation for that precept, which is a 
strange one to a carnal world — ' in every thing 
give thanks.' 

His illness continued three months, with inter- 
vals of excruciating pain, arising, as was con- 
jectured, from stones in the kidneys, producing 
guch inflamation as extended also to all the 
adjacent parts : yet nothing was heard from his 
lips, but continual expressions of praise and 
thanksgiving. This led the apothecary to de- 
clare, in a letter he wrote to announce Mr. Dar- 
racott's death, '• Of all the death-beds I ever at- 
tended, I never saw such an instance of holy re- 
signation and triumph." 

About three weeks before he died, on a Lord's 
day morning, he said to one that was standing 
by, " I am going to that Jesus whom I love, and 
whom I have so often preached. " Come, Lord 
Jesus, come quickly, why are thy chariot-wheels 
so long a-coming ?" He then turned from his 
own case, to that of others ; and, in a solemn 
manner, reminded those around him of their 
appearance at the judgment-seat, exclaiming, 
'- I charge you, see to it that you meet me at the 
right hand of God at the great day." 

While affliction pressed heavily upon him, he 
seemed overwhelmed with a sense of the divine 
goodness, which he expressed in the following 



132 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTI^. 

words : " Oh, what a mercy it is to have such a 
rock to build upon as the Lord Jesus Christ ! I 
have found him to be a firm rock that will not 
fail. What a mercy it is to have a covenant 
God, — a covenant that is so well ordered in all 
things and sure, that is all my salvation, and all 
my desire ! I have found him to be a covenant- 
keeping God." 

Adverting to his own incapacity for utterance, 
and fearing lest his divine benefactor should be 
defrauded of the due revenue of praise, he ad- 
dressed Mrs. Darracott thus, '^ My dear, do you 
speak of the goodness of God towards me, for 
I want a tongue but not a heart to praise him." 
A friend said, " I hope your tongue will be loosed 
again, to praise him in this world ;" he answered, 
" if not, we shall praise him in heaven together ; 
how good God is, he is all love, all goodness." 

Observing some of his flock near him, he 
shewed the ruling passion strong in death ; for 
he commenced a sermon on his bed, exhorting 
them to perseverance in the faith. '« Hold out, 
and hold on," said he. " I trust I have begotten 
you both in Christ Jesus : may the Lord pour 
down a plentiful effusion of his Spirit upon you." 

The Psalmist anticipating the divine goodness, 
said, " the righteous shall compass me about, for 
thou shalt deal bountifully with me." This pri- 
vilege now filled the heart of the dying saint with 
gratitude and joy, which he thus expressed. 
<' What attendance have I got, Jesus is with me ; 
angels are my guardians ; the blessed Spirit is my 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 133 

comforter and supporter ; and you, my dear spi- 
ritual friends, waiting on me ; and my dear wife, 
the best of women. But don't think highly of 
me ; for if you have seen a measure of grace in 
me, you have seen a great deal of corruption." 
Then, after a pause, he said to himself, '' a little 
longer, and the Lord will release me." To a 
friend, who thus expressed his regard, " I hope 
the Lord will restore you again ;" he replied, '' no, 
that is not to be expected," and then added, " my 
eyes fail, I am going." 

Every common object he seized, and turned to 
pious use. His speech, his food, the comforts of 
his bed, were thus improved. Finding his voice 
falter, he said, '' I want a new tongue to praise 
God here ; but if not here, I shall have a new 
heart and tongue to praise him in heaven." 
"When taking some refreshment, he exclaimed 
" Blessed be God for this meal ;" and to a friend, 
who was coming in, he observed, '' I have often 
sat with you at the table of the Lord here ; I am 
now going to sit around his board above : these 
have been days in which I have taken great 
delight, when I have gone to the house of God in 
company with you." As he had said to his wife, 
'' I must leave you without any formality : when 
will the day dawn, and the shadows flee away ?" 
she, anxious for the comforts of his last moments, 
asked him, '' whether he was warm ;" when he 
replied, " I have a general warmth over my body, 
dgkd a general calm over my soul." 

Sometimes the mental delights he enjoyed, 
12 



134 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

seemed so far to overcome all sense of physical 
pain or disease, that he, for a moment, supposed 
he might recover. Two days before he died, 
waking in a very delightful frame, he desired that 
the apothecary might be sent for that he might 
know what he thought of his case. When the 
apothecary came, he gave but little hope. Mr. 
Darracott answered, " all is well ; blessed be God, 
I know in whom I have believed, and can rely on 
the promises, they are all mine ; especially that, 
' I will never leave nor forsake thee.' I am sure 
he will not." 

Like one neither unwilling to live, nor afraid to 
die, he desired that the church might be called 
together to pray for him, and to give him up to 
the Lord. When symptoms of recovery ap- 
peared, he called on those in the room with him, 
to bless God for it, and said, " when thou wilt 
call, I will hear and answer. O blessed promise, 
I have found it made good to me. Should the 
Lord raise me up again, surely praise will become 
this house." 

The night before he died, he said, " O what a 
good God have I in Christ Jesus. I would praise 
him, but my lips cannot. Eternity will be too 
short to speak his praises." He earnestly desired 
that his tongue might be loosed, to speak the 
praises of God ; and it was granted. The night 
before he died, he was in a delightful frame, full 
of heavenly joy, with his intellectual faculties in 
full vigour. When the apothecary came in, he 
said, " O, Mr. K. what a mercy it is to be in- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 135 

terested in the atoning blood of Christ ! You tell 
me I am dying, how long do you think it will be 
first ?" It was answered, " that is uncertain, to 
a few hours." <« Will it be to night ?" said he ; 
" I believe you will survive the night." '^ Well," 
he exclaimed, " all is well, I am ready." " This, 
sir," addressing the apothecary, " is agreeable to 
the doctrine I have at all times preached, that I 
now come to the Lord as a vile sinner, trusting 
on the merits and precious blood of my dear 
Redeemer. O grace, grace, free grace !" 

As his flock lay very near his heart, he was 
anxious that some of them should enjoy the en- 
couragement afforded by the dying triumphs of 
their pastor. At his desire, several of them were 
called, but when they came, his spirits were ex- 
hausted, by talking nearly three quarters of an 
hour. He said to them, however, " in the ft,ith of 
that doctrine I have preached to you, I am going 
to die." He then related his experience of the 
goodness of God to him in his sickness, and 
said, '' if I had a thousand lives to live, I would 
live them all for Christ ; I have cast anchor on 
him and rely on his blood, and am going to 
venture my all upon him." He then took his 
leave of each, in a very solemn manner, and said, 
" watch your hearts, and keep them with all 
diligence, for out of them is the issue of life ; as 
for me, I have fought the good fight, I have fin- 
ished my course, I have kept the faith : hence- 
forth there is laid up for me, a crown of right- 
eousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 



136 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, 
but to them all also, who love his appearing." 

When he saw Mrs. Darracott weeping, he said, 
" Weep not for me, nor yet for yourself, for you 
are a child of the covenant. I am going to see 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all that are got 
to glory. Yet," said he, <' should this be a delu- 
sion ? but it is not, for I have the roll in my 
bosom to be my admittance into heaven, and the 
testimony of conscience within : my evidences 
are clear." He then repeated these verses of 
Dr. Watts. 

" My God, and can a humble child 
That loves thee with a flame so high, 
Be ever from thy face exiPd, 
Without the pity of thine eye. 
Impossible ! tor thine own hands 
Have lied my heart so fast to thee, 
And in thy book the promise stands, 
That where thou art thy friends must be." 

Reflecting on the source of his exquisite 
enjoyments, he exclaimed, " the Lord had been 
just if he had sent me to hell ; it was free-grace 
that has saved me, and it was free-grace that I 
have preached to others." To one who said, 
" Sir, you are going to receive the fruits of your 
labours ;" he answered, " no, it is all free-grace, 
grace." This, however, seems to have been 
spoken with a view to his former meditations, on 
the source of his religious distinction, and to 
have been designed to suppress vain-glorious 
ideas of merit. For, it is true, " that whatsoever 
good thing any man doeth, the same shall he 



IfEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 137 

receive of the Lord." This consideration, the 
Apostle employs to stimulate christian servants 
to a faithful discharge of their duties. " What- 
soever ye do, do it heartily unto the Lord, and 
not to men ; knowing that of the Lord ye shall 
receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve 
the Lord Christ." Therefore, it is said, by a 
voice from heaven, " blessed are the dead that die 
in the Lord ; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may 
rest from their labours, and theh' works do follow 

Mr. Darracott took the apothecary by the 
hand, and said, " farewell, my dear friend, I 
thank you for all that care, trouble, and kindness, 
you have taken with and for me. Blessed be 
God, all is well, all is well. I am now going to 
see dear Williams, Doddridge, and the rest of 
the glorified saints. Farewell, my friend, a good 
night to you." In the morning on which he 
died, his wife came in, and said, " my dear, you 
are just on the borders of glory ;" he said, «< I 
could not have thought it, had not the physician 
and Mr. K. told me so, the passage is so easy." 
His wife said, " how will you behold the dear 
Lord Jesus, when you come to glory !" He 
replied, «« I shall behold him face to face." He 
then lay in a slumber ; and all around thought 
him dying, as no pulsation could be perceived. 
But he awoke, in about twenty minutes after, and 
said, " is Mr. Kennaway come ?" it was answered, 
" yes." '^ O, my dear friend, how are you this 
morning, did you not tell me, last nighty I was 
13* 



138 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

dying ?*' it was answered, " I did so." He said, 
" it could not be, it was too easy. What a mercy 
it is fo be in Christ ; O precious, precious Jesus ! 
Now," said he, " I am believing, rejoicing, 
triumphant too." 

As there were ten or twelve of his Christian 
friends around his bed ; he took each one by the 
hand, and bidding them farewell, said, •' you see, 
my friends, I now am dying in the same faith, I 
have always preached unto you, and I would not 
die in any other way for the world. O keep 
close to Christ." When asked to take some- 
thing to moisten his throat, he answered, " no, I 
do not want to delay the time of death : then, 
with a smile, he cried out, "come, Lord Jesus." 
He asked again, •• is this dying ?" when some 
one answered, '^ yes ;" he replied, " it cannot be, 
it is too good." 

The devout Archbishop Leighton so much 
dreaded the sight of weeping friends, around his 
dying bed, that he w^ished he might die far from 
such interruptions to calm devotion, such hin- 
drances to heavenly joy. God gave him that 
v^hich he requested. But precious in the sight 
of the Lord, is the death of his saints ; and it is 
a sight so profitable to men, that w^e should fore- 
go our own indulgences, to afford this privilege 
to our families and friends. Thus Darracott 
thought, and calling for his wife and children, 
he took his leave of them, with the utmost com- 
posure and serenity of mind, and submission to 
his Father's will. Observing them, and all his 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 139 

other friends weeping, he said to his wife, " my 
dear and precious wife, why do you weep ; you 
should rejoice. Rely on the promises. God 
will never leave nor forsake you, all his promises 
are true and sure. Well ; I am going from 
weeping friends to congratulating angels, and re- 
joicing saints in heaven and glory. Blessed be 
God, all is well." 

He asked, " how much longer will it be, be- 
fore I gain my dismission ?" it was answered, 
'' not long." '^ Well," he observed, '' here is 
nothing on earth I desire ! here I am waiting ! 
what a mercy to be in Jesus!" he then threw 
abroad his arm,s, and said, '' he is coming, he is 
coming ! but surely this can't be death. O hov/ 
astonishingly is the Lord softening my passage, 
surely God is too good to such a worm ! O 
speed thy chariot wheels, why are they so long 
in coming ? I long to be gone." At length he 
exclaimed, as if beginning a sentence, "faith 
and hope :" these were his last words. About 
eleven o'clock in the morning, he lay down, and, 
just before twelve, fell asleep in Jesus whom he 
so much loved. 

Thus, like Stephen, amidst the pains of mar- 
tyrdom, and the anticipation of heaven, he ex- 
pired on the 14th of March, 1759, in the forty- 
second year of his age. 

On opening his will, it was found to contain, 
besides the disposal of his property, the following 
sentences. 

" It is my will and desire, that I be buried the 



140 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

fourth or fifth day after my decease, about one 
o'clock in the morning ; and that the time be 
kept secret from all, but such as are hereafter- 
mentioned, who are the only persons I desire may 
attend me to my last bed. My desire further is, 
that Mr. Thomas, Thomas Snook, William Par- 
sons, Mr. Cade, Thomas Harford, and Robert 
Pine, carry me to my grave. Let Mr. Varder be 
sent for to be with them at the time, and let him 
spend one half hour in prayer in my parlour, 
before they carry me away. At the grave I would 
have nothing said, but let them commit my flesh 
to the dust, in cheerful hope of a resurrection to 
eternal life ; let them all be concerned to give 
me a joyful meeting at the great day. 

" It is also my desire, that my dear brother, 
the Rev. Mr. Fawcett, be sent for to preach my 
funeral sermon, about a month or six weeks after 
my decease, as it shall suit his own conveniency. 
I would not have him say a word in praise of 
me, but tell the people, that having loved them, 
I have loved them to the end ; and, as a proof of 
it, have made a choice of this word. Phil. iv. 1. 
«« Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and 
longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in 
the Lord, my dearly beloved :" it is my last and 
dying charge to them, praying and hoping thjat 
God will help my dear brother to carry home 
the exhortations upon their hearts, and that they 
will carefully attend to all the affectionate argu- 
ments with which the exhortation is urged. 

" My further desire is, that the sermon be 



MEMOIRS OF BARRACOTT. 141 

printed, and that my dear people would not fail 
to have each of them one, to be with them when 
they will see my face no more. By which, though 
dead, I would be considered as speaking the most 
affectionately and tenderly to them. If my dear 
brother approves of it, I would have another 
edition of my ' Scripture Marks' printed and 
stitched with my Funeral Sermon ; principally 
on this account, that my dear people may the 
better remember the gospel I have preached, 
and what is that stedfastness in the faith, which I 
am concerned they may hold fast ; as I write this, 
in my own apprehension, on my dying bed, they 
may believe me, when I say, I have no other view 
in all this, but the good of souls. 

" Before this will be communicated, I shall be 
gone to my Judge, and I can, and do rejoice, that 
he is my Saviour. I have good hope through grace, 
and I have once more seriously tried the founda- 
tion of it, and I find it will stand in the prospect 
of eternity. I can, blessed be God, and I would 
not but I should, for all the world, be able to give 
a reason of the hope that is in me ; and to my 
' Scripture Marks,' I refer, as the solid evidence 
of my interest in Christ, who, in point of all 
dependance, love, and esteem, is and has been, 
for more than twenty years, my ' all in all.' — 
Adieu." 

According to his request, his body was opened, 
to ascertain the disorder of which he died. Five 
stones were found in the left kidney, which had 
been so inflamed, that putrefaction had nearly 



142 MEMOIRS OF DJLRRACOTT. 

consumed that organ. The parts contiguous, 
having partaken of the inflammation, betrayed 
the agony which he must have endured. How 
exalted, then, must have been the consolations 
which rendered him so insensible of his afflictions! 
How forcibly this case illustrates the beautiful 
expressions of the Apostle, when praying for the 
Collossians ! ^* That ye may be strengthened with 
all might, according to his glorious power, unto 
all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness ; 
giving thanks to the Father, who hath made us 
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the 
Saints, in light." 

The funeral was conducted according to Mr. 
Darracott's directions. But though he evidently 
designed to avoid attracting a crowd to his grave, 
the time could not be kept entirely secret, and 
immense multitudes attended at that early hour. 
The darkness was dispelled by their numerous 
torches, and its silence broken by their sighs, in- 
termingled with the praises of their deceased pas- 
tor. 

The request to Mr. Fawcett, drew from him 
the following letter to Mrs. Darracott. 

" Kidderminster, March 21, 1759. 

" My very dear Mrs. Darracott, 

" I am afflicted in all your affliction. My heart 

bleeds for you, and for your fatherless children. 

Nothing in the creature can repair your loss. 

The kindness of surviving mortals can never heal 



IfEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 143 

this breach. Wherewithal shall I comfort you ? 
Alas ! it is not in me. I have lost the most inti- 
mate Christian friend and brother that ever I had 
upon earth. We took sweet counsel together, 
and our hearts and hands were united in the same 
pursuits for two and twenty years. But this tie 
of friendship is dissolved. My friend and bro- 
ther is gone, and I despair of ever finding an 
equal in these mortal abodes. Thus I feel for my- 
self in this awful event. 

" But mine is a drop, compared with your 
ocean of grief. Mine is a loss, not to be men- 
tioned with that of the widow and fatherless. 
Who can comfort you, when you see him no more 
in your own house, or in the house of God ? No 
more enjoy the meltings of his inmost soul ? No 
more behold that cheerful, self-possessing, ever- 
smiling countenance ? No more join in his pray- 
ers and praises ? Nor be a witness to his pious 
labours, his delightful intelligences, or his over- 
flowing joy and triumph through all ? 

'* Happy for us, that we know where to seek 
solid an satisfying comfort, even amidst this sor- 
rowful scene ! God is not dead. Jesus, from 
whom the most amiable friends derived all their 
loveliness and excellence, is the same yesterday, 
and to-day, and for ever. The promises are true 
and faithful, great and precious. Providence is 
but accomplishing the designs of covenant love. 
Out of the eater comes meat, and out of the un- 
savoury comes sweetness. Death, indeed, has 
conquered, but it is only in order to be itself 



144 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

entirely abolished. Our friend is gone from u^, 
but he is with infinitely better friends. He can 
no more serve and please his family and flock ; 
but it was rich grace that enabled him to serve 
and please them so much, and so long. We justly 
mourn the loss we sustain, but we are very un- 
just, if we do not bless and praise God, that ever 
we had such a friend, such a relative ; that we 
enjoyed him so freely and fully, and reaped such 
valuable benefits by him. 

" Nor have we lost him now, he is only gone 
before, got the start of us in this instance, as he 
did in every thing that was important. He is with 
him who is the God of the widow, and the father 
of the fatherless, and who comforts them that are 
cast down into any trouble. He is where we, 
through grace, are also going, where we hope to 
be soon. What an interview will that be ? How 
will our friend look in glory ? Where will all our 
pains and tears at parting be then ? How will 
that meeting reprove our present unbelief? 

" O, let us turn our complaints into praises ! 
Blessed be God for such a friend ! Adored be 
divine grace for all his loveliness and usefulness ! 
that he did so much, in so little time ; that he 
lived and died as all will wish to have done ! that 
he rests with the saints in their everlasting rest ! 
that the labourer has now his hire, the weary 
pilgrim his home, and the heir is come to the 
full possession of his large, his glorious inheri- 
tance. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 145 

" May the spirit of Jesus, which made a dying 
bed so comfortable to our friend, take the com- 
forts of Jesus and apply them to me, to you, to 
the dear children, and to all the weeping friends 
and neighbours around you ! There are comforts 
for us that are neither few nor small ; do not let 
us overlook them, nor, through our tears, mistake 
them. 

" I thank Miss Darracott for her letters, and 
rejoice at the discovery therein made of her im- 
provements under her dear father. May the 
Lord Jesus Christ abundantly bless, and comfort- 
ably provide for her, and her dear brother. 

" I desire my thanks may be returned to Mr. 
Kennaway for his letter, and for the copy of what 
is written on the back of the will. There is not 
any room for objection to such a dying request, 
otherwise Mr. Pearsall would have done every 
thing better. The Lord help me to fulfil this last 
office for my friend, in a manner w^orthy of such 
friendship as his. 

'' If it please God to preserve my health, and 
my family's, I hope to be with you, in April, or 
May. If you should discern any peculiar reasons 
for desiring one month, or Sabbath, rather than 
another, I beg, madam, you w^ll be pleased to 
inform me. I am expecting Mr. Davey here, 
from Crediton, and both he and myself would be 
disappointed, if I should not be at home, when he 
is here. If he would come hither, in April, I 
would administer our Lord's supper the last Sab- 
bath in that month, and then go back with him, 
13 



146 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

SO as to be at Wellington, the first Lord's-day in 
May. I am writing to him. Your, and your 
dear children's sympathizing friend, 

" B. Fawcett." 

The funeral sermon which Mr. Fawcett preach- 
ed at Wellington, April 15, exactly a month 
after his friend's decease, was, by his command, 
silent concerning his praise. The attentive mul- 
titudes, their sighs, and tears, sufficiently pro- 
claimed the worth of their departed shepherds 
And in the following picture of a faithful pastor, 
Mr. Fawcett evidently designed to give the like- 
ness of his friend. 

^' If a gospel minister has a heart ever glowing 
with love to Christ, and love to immortal souls ; 
if this love makes him abundant in labours, fer- 
vent in spirit, serving the lord, and glad to spend 
and be spent for the people committed to his 
care ; if by this love he is evidently superior to 
selfish views, above the influence of filthy lucre, 
full of anxious concern to convince and convert 
sinners, and edify saints, ready to every good 
word and work, and yearning with bowels of 
compassion towards the ignorant, the stupid, the 
profligate, the doubting and distressed, the weak 
and feeble-minded, the poor and mean ; if this 
love, not only pours out a continual torrent of 
faithful, aflfectionate, heart-searching ministra- 
tions from the pulpit, both in season and out of 
season, but opens his house at all times, as a 
common refuge for the distressed, and especially 
for soul distresses ; if this love opens his way 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 147 

into the houses of all his friends, and neighbours, 
not to serve himself, but them, and especially by 
bringing eternal things home to their personal 
converse and immediate attention ; if this love 
leaves him no idle moments, and shews him to be 
most of all in his element, when most directly pro- 
moting the beginning, progress, or establishment 
of the divine life in those around him ; if this 
love makes the prosperity of the churches, and 
especially of the particular church over which 
he presides, his chief joy ; in a word, if in con- 
sequence of this love, he lives, and best of all 
enjoys himself, w^hen his people stand fast in the 
Lord ; is there not a beauty and excellence in 
such a character, which forces esteem, and obli- 
ges even the enemies of Christ and godliness, ei- 
ther silently to admire it, or (which is sometimes 
the case) freely speak their approbation of it, or 
in some way to acknowledge its excellence. 
Was not this the meaning of what a profane gen- 
tleman once said to his friend, as they met Mr. 
Darracott, going to his meeting-house, to preach 
on a week day, " there," says he, '^ goes a man, 
that serves God as if the Devil was in him !" 

The letters of condolence which Mrs. Darra- 
cott received, w^ere too numerous for insertion. 
The following, from Mr. Walker, of Truro, af- 
forded the mourning widow much consolation. 



148 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

" Truro, June 21, 1769. 

" Dear Mrs. Darracott, 

^' I have read in dear Mr. Fawcett's sermon, 
the Triumphs of Free Grace, at the most inte- 
resting season. What a blessing to you, that the 
happy subject of them was your husband, to me, 
that he was my friend ! I doubt not, through 
grace, such a refreshing scene has mightily con- 
firmed your faith. And how tender the bowels 
of infinite mercy, that, when you should be called 
to the greatest trial you can possibly have to go 
through in the world, that very trial should be 
attended with circumstances, so irresistibly, (I had 
almost said fitted to reconcile you to it) and even 
make you joyful under it ! The loss of so kind a 
partner is sensibly afflicting. But time will con- 
tribute to reconcile you to that. Your greater 
loss is that of a near, faithful, and excellent 
friend, example, and helper. Your loss on this 
side, it is probable, will be increasingly felt, as 
time, and change of circumstances and ministers, 
advance upon you. Permit me, therefore, to say, 
that it is here you need to be on your guard, that 
you may always patiently submit to the perfect 
will of your heavenly Father. May you be enabled 
to say, in every case, and peculiarly in the want 
of so quickening a guide, " Even this, O Lord, I 
needed also, to make me more entirely seek my 
all in thee." 

" In the sense of what you have lost, it will be 
very natural for you to reflect on yourself, that 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 149 

you did not more value and more profit by the 
blessing, while it was in your possession. Possi- 
bly, in such reviews, Satan may be attempting to 
cast in his accusations, and to discourage you in 
the thought of your unprofitableness. I beseech 
you, yield nothing to him, nor give up the least 
jot of your confidence in God, through the merits 
of Jesus, which is what he waits for. Unprofit- 
ableness is a just cause of humiliation in the peo- 
ple of God, but never of doubting ; rather should 
we be thankful for anything received, under what- 
ever means, since the ^measure, as well as the 
means, is the gift of God. 

" I am much mistaken in you, if you are not 
enabled to adorn, and will not do so, the gospel 
of God our Saviour, in your meek and cheerful 
submission. You had been taught, long before, 
the Christian's lot, and that it is through much 
tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of 
God ; wherefore the day of sorrow has not come 
upon you unawares; I trust it never will be able 
to do so. I am sure it cannot, while you have 
upon your heart, both that God ordereth all 
things to you, and that he will make all things 
work together for your good. Still you have your 
children left you. The Lord make them your 
comfort, by pouring upon them a double portion 
of their father's spirit. 

«' I am greatly obliged to Miss Kitty for her 

favour. Were I nearer to her, I would say to 

her, and I am persuaded she would not take it ill, 

' Comfort your mother, be more careful of her 

13* 



150 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

than ever, study in all things to act as she would 
have you, and let your conduct be always such as 
is suited to maintain and improve all reverence 
towards her in your two little brothers.' 

" I doubt not you are sincerely concerned, that 
good Mr. Darracott's place may be properly sup- 
plied. His poor people ! I feel and pray for 
them, desiring to be affectionately remembered 
to them. I am, 

" Dear Mrs. Darracott, 
'^ Your most obedient and faithful servant in Christ, 

. " Samuel Walker." 

Mrs. Darracott passed the rest of her life in 
widowhood, and spent her last years with her 
daughter, at Romsey. She died on the 28th of 
December, 1799, in the eighty-sixth year of her 
age. She had joined the church at Barnstaple, 
when only seventeen : and, towards the close of 
life, used to reflect with grateful pleasure, that 
she had been enabled to serve the Lord nearly 
seventy years. Her wise and cheerful piety ren- 
dered her, at a very advanced age, highly agreeable 
and useful to those young persons who were in- 
troduced to her company. She often longed for 
the hour of dismission, which she at last welcomed 
with calm triumph. 

At her particular request, her corpse was re- 
moved to Wellington, to be interred with the 
remains of her husband. When the tomb was 
opened for her, a person who had been, forty 
years before, deeply affected under Mr. Darra- 



i 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 151 

cott's ministry, but had turned aside to the world, 
came to see what was left of her former pastor. 
The sight of his bones so forcibly recalled the 
views and feelings which his animating voice had 
first produced, that she burst forth into the most 
violent expressions of alarm and anguish. Thus 
the righteous man '• being dead yet speaketh :" 
from his tomb issues a voice, at once alarming 
to the wicked, and grateful to the believer in 
Jesus. 

Only one such instance occurred, at Mrs. Dar- 
racott's interment ; for, during the forty years 
which had elapsed since her husband's death, a 
generation had gone down to the dust, and few 
were left who knew the Star which had once 
shined in the West. But had Darracott's grave 
been opened, within a few years after his death, 
it is probable, from the character which some of 
his former hearers betrayed, that the sight of his 
corpse would have stung several of them to the 
heart. 



152 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 



CHAPTER V. 



CONCLUSION. 



As we naturally wish to have seen those whose 
tale has excited admiration and esteem, it may 
not be unacceptable to the reader to be furnished 
with a description of Mr. Darracott's person. 
He was slender, and rather under, than above, 
the middle stature. His countenance was all 
animation, benevolence, and happiness. His eye 
darted, not the flash of genius, but the mild 
beam of religion. The expression of his mouth, 
when unopened, gave a pleasing promise of the 
law of kindness which was upon his lips, and the 
love of his God which was in his heart. His 
looks spake all the greatness of goodness. 

The manners of Mr. Darracott were, as those 
of a minister should be, graceful yet simple, 
indicating the man who, from benevolent conde- 
scension, lived among the poor, while he was 
ever prepared to instruct and delight the cul- 
tivated mind. All his movements told that his 
heart bounded with goodness, and his soul was 
on fire for action. But his constitution was not 
vigorous, and his body gave early and frequent 
intimations, that it could not long support the 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 153 

expenditure to which it was doomed by his ar- 
dent spirit. 

His disposition, whether it should be ascribed 
wholly to religion, or, in some measure, to natu- 
ral temperament, was very lovely. For, with all 
that ardour which endeared him to the church, 
and to his friends, he was gentle and forgiving to 
his enemies. It was frequently observed of him, 
that, bold as a lion in the pulpit, he was, in the 
intercourse of life, meek as a lamb. Amidst 
considerable opposition, he was never roused to 
anger. In all his letters, he wisely abstained 
from any mention of his enemies 5 and, when a 
member of his family expressed a resolution to 
have no dealings with a tradesman who had in- 
jured him, he strongly censured the spirit, in- 
sisting that no difference should be made, ex- 
cept in favour of the offender. 

As it is in domestic life, that the power of 
religion is most unequivocally displayed, Mr. 
Darracott was distinguished by kind and devout 
attentions to the present and eternal happiness of 
all who were about him. The incessant solici- 
tude for the comfort of his wife, which is expres- 
sed in many of his private papers, left an impres- 
sion on her mind, which, through a widowhood 
of forty years, she cherished with undiminished 
fondness. His dying exhortations to his children 
displayed the heart of a Christian father, soli- 
citous only that they might possess the godliness 
which has the promise of the life that now is^ 
and of that which is to come. 



154 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

As a scholar he was not eminent ; for if some- 
thing must be mentioned under the head of faults, 
it may be here observed, that his censors re- 
proached him for that kind of zeal which precludes 
close study. He contented himself with the 
portion of literature which he brought with him 
from the seminary of Doddridge. Were none to 
apply themselves to the study of biblical criticism, 
the cause of religion, as well as of literature, 
would essentially suffer. But Risdon Darracott 
was better engaged. Had he lived to the age 
when youthful fires subside, and when the useful- 
ness of a minister is seen more in the edification 
of Christians than in the conversion of the ungodly, 
he might have felt the want of those additions 
which many others were making to their store* 
of knowledge. He felt, however, as a man on 
the verge of the grave ; and, warned by the 
frequent attacks of disease, that his course would 
be short, he laboured to accomplish immedi- 
ately the great objects of his ministry, instead of 
preparing for more distant usefulness. As he 
continually enjoyed the success of his labours, 
the converts added to the church brought with 
them the freshness and animation which kept 
others alive ; and, as he scarcely outlived the 
age of physical force and animal spirits, his 
preaching was never deficient in interest. 

His " Scripture Marks," which are a tolerably 
fair specimen, prove that his composition pos- 
sessed the prime excellencies of purity, perspicuity, 
and vivacity. To sublimity of imagination, or 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 155 

elegance of style, he never aspired. His affec- 
tions, however, abundantly supplied the defects 
of his fancy, and threw a charm over his language, 
which endeared him to pious minds. 

In the capacity of a divine, he was accurate 
rather than profound. According to the nomen- 
clature, which obtains among Christians, he was 
a Calvinist. But his belief of the divine sove- 
reignty, and of the election of grace, was not a 
bigotted attachment to a system ; it was the 
result of a deep conviction of the total ruin of 
our nature, and an entire dependance on divine 
influence, as the only source of true religion. 
His system, therefore, never appeared, but where 
it was needed to humble man, to inspire a cheer- 
ful confidence in divine grace, or to secure to 
God, the glory due to him for our salvation. 

Though he was a very captivating preacher, 
he would not, as a writer of sermons, have 
acquired celebrity from the press. The mode in 
w^hich he prepared his public discourses might 
be called superficial. He drew up the outline 
with logical exactness, usually with an eye to the 
subject of the discourse, expressed in the title, 
rather than to the passage on which it was 
founded. A copious store of texts was noted down 
for illustration and proof, but without that passing 
gloss, which, by eliciting the import and the spirit 
of the Scriptures, forms the riches of a sermon. 
He scarcely ever provided those right words, 
whose felicity and energy, render them as 
nails fastened in a sure place. Hence, had it 



156 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

not been for the passions, which are always 
eloquent, his preaching had been unimpressive. 
But his written sermons, like those of Whitefield, 
of w^hom he was a counterpart upon a reduced 
scale, convey no adequate idea of his preaching. 
The fire of his heart, the light of his eye, the 
affection of his tone, and the solemnity of his 
manner, communicated an inexpressible interest, 
and made common thoughts appear striking. 

Of his sermons, the following letter may give 
gome idea. 

" My dear friend, 

" Never was a letter more seasonably sent 
than your last, never could a word be more 
suitably adapted to my present case, than that 
you copied for me of dying Joshua. It so struck 
me, that I could not get it out of my thoughts, 
and I could not but consider it, as a word given 
me to preach upon, the ensuing day : and the 
rather, as the subject I had been studying, most 
of the last week, I found myself so barren 
upon, that I was questioning within my- 
self, whether I should insist upon it, and yet 
till this passage came to me in your letter, I 
could think of no other. But on this, my whole 
soul fixed w^ith sweetness ; it was the very word 
I wanted for myself, as I had been conflicting so 
much of late with unbelief, and I was in hopes it 
would be of service to many of my people, as I 
know that mine was also their own case. And 
now, I cannot but adopt the words of David to 
Abigail, and say, < blessed be the Lord God, wha 



MEMOIRS OF DARRAGOTT. 157 

sent your letter so opportunely to me, and blessed 
be your advice, and blessed be you, who have 
kept me from continuing in a frame so provoking 
to God, so uncomfortable to myself, and so dis- 
honourable to my profession.' 

" I have now the pleasure to inform you, 
through the rich mercy of God, that the conside- 
ration of this passage yesterday, has, for the pre- 
sent, banished every unbelieving and distressing 
thought, has strengthened my faith, and confirm- 
ed my hope in the divine promises. I first took 
a view of some of those gracious things God has 
promised to do for his people, with regard to 
grace here, and glory hereafter, and every other 
good thing that was necessary in the way ; and 
then showed that none of these promises could 
fail being accomplished, as they were all made 
from a fore-knowledge of our persons and cases, 
from pure and unmerited love, were the promises 
of a God of almighty power, who could easily 
effect whatever he promised, — a God who was 
unchangeable, and whose thoughts of love are, 
and must be, the same from one eternity to 
another, — a God of inviolable truth and faithful- 
ness, and never can once alter the thing that is 
gone out of his mouth, — promises that are farther 
secured to us by the oath of God, and every one 
sealed by the blood of his own Son, — promises 
which the Spirit of all truth has indited, and the 
experience of all the saints have sealed the 
truth of." 

Mr. Darracott was still more distinguished as 
14 



158 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

a pastor than as a preacher. He was far from 
resembling those, whose neglect of their flocks 
reminds us of what the sacred writer says of 
the cruel " ostrich, that leaveth her eggs in the 
earth, and warmeth them in the sand, and for- 
getteth that the foot of the traveller may crush 
them, or that the wild beast may break them : 
she is hardened against her young ones, as if they 
were not hers ; her labour is in vain, without 
fear." Mr. Darracott watched, with unwearied 
diligence, for the fruit of his preaching. This 
rendered his sermons appropriate, and induced him 
constantly to choose the most important and useful 
subjects ; so that his hearers always found him 
preaching about something which they felt to be 
of the utmost consequence to themselves. 

In the more private attentions the pastor of 
Wellington was unrivalled. He was a bishop 
that exercised hospitality ; for his house was ever 
open to the enquiring traveller, who was asking 
the way to Zion, with his face thitherward. He 
convinced all such, by his benevolent counte- 
nance and his instructive voice, that their ap- 
plications were not considered as intrusions. 

His method of writing letters to his own 
hearers, which he sometimes read to them him- 
self, was singular. Perhaps it would succeed in 
few hands but his own. Uncommon prudence 
and unbounded benevolence would be required, 
to avoid giving offence, in addresses so pointed 
and personal ; but it does not appear, that any of 
these truly pastoral letters alienated from him a 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 159 

single hearer ; and by such efforts, how fully did 
he clear himself of the blood of every man ! 

The solicitude he felt to win souls, peculiarly 
deserves to be held up to imitation, as no minister 
can hope to share in his honours and delights, 
without a portion of his faithful benevolent spirit. 
If a month elapsed without some tokens of the 
divine influence accompanying his ministry, this 
good man began to mourn, and tell it to his 
friends around, that they might plead with God 
for him. The pastoral lists he kept, contributed 
much to remind him of the state of his flock, to 
recall to him the success with which the Re- 
deemer had crowned his past labours, and thus to 
furnish the most mighty stimulus to new ex- 
ertions. 

For public spirit, Mr. Darracott deserves pecu- 
liar honour ; as it was not the characteristic of 
his times. The interests of religion, in all the 
churches around, were the object of his most 
lively solicitude ; for, he was far from supposing, 
that a minister of Jesus Christ is bound to regard 
only that particular flock, which he has engaged 
to feed. Yet such a notion has often been the 
sin of independent ministers, the bane and op- 
probrium of the Independent cause. 

No part of Mr. Darracott's ministry contributed 
more to his usefulness, than village-preaching. 
He was, indeed, peculiarly formed for this line 
of labour. The simplicity of his style, per- 
haps also, the mediocrity of his thoughts, added 
to the vivacity and sweetness of his manner, gave 



160 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

him the high praise of the poor man's preacher j 
which is, indeed, the closest imitation of our 
Lord, of whom it is recorded, that '« the common 
people heard him gladly." 

If, in this line, the men of humbler talents 
may hope to excel ; here, also, the more brilliant 
preacher should labour to excel. The simplicity 
which village-preaching not only admits, but 
demands, would very much improve the style and 
manner of those who are in danger of shooting 
over the heads, and never coming near the hearts 
of their hearers. Nothing is further from truth, 
than the notion that preaching to the poor and 
illiterate, would spoil a man for the more polished 
hearers ; for our Lord has so entwined our duty 
and our interest, that he who acquires, by de- 
scending to the peasantry, an air of unembar- 
rassed earnestness, seizes the surest means of 
commanding the attention of the genteel. 

Mr. Darracott's diligence in the distribution of 
tracts, has, in our days, become a common excel- 
lence. But with him it was entitled to high 
praise ; for no tract societies had then furnished 
variety to suit every taste, or roused even luke- 
warmness by the force of example. It was, 
however, to the honour of Williams, of Kidder- 
minster, and some other wealthy laymen, that 
they assisted this faithful pastor, whose heart was 
too large for his purse. Many who are busy in 
getting money, complain that they have no time 
to distribute bibles or tracts ; but they might, by 



Memoirs of darracott. 161 

the hands of their pastor, disperse abroad the 
evidence, that in them was fulfilled the predic- 
tion, " I will consecrate their gain unto the 
Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the 
whole earth." 

In Mr. Darracott, every lively, faithful minister, 
found a hearty friend. The most eminent, in 
different denominations, were his correspondents 
and visitors ; for there was nothing unsocial or 
envious in his composition. By this, he proved 
the eminence of his religion, and powerfully pro- 
moted his usefulness. He who will never 
co-operate with his brethren in the ministry, will 
do, comparatively, little ; for there are many 
things we cannot do single-handed ; but the 
minister who wins the hearts of others, strength- 
ens their hands and fires their zeal. It was 
forbidden to Mr. Fawcett to make the funeral 
sermon an Eloge on his departed brother ; but no 
eulogium could have been more honourable than 
that which he uttered in his letter of condolence 
to the widow : " I have lost the most intimate 
christian friend and brother tjlat ever I had upon 
earth. Our hearts and hands have been united 
in the same pursuits, for two and twenty years. 
He is gone, and I despair of ever finding his 
equal in these mortal abodes." Such friendships 
as these among ministers, tend to magnify their 
office ; while nothing degrades them more, than 
mutual envy and detraction. 

The spirit which Mr. Darracott displayed at 
14^ 



162 MEMOIRS OF DARKACOTT* 

the college, augured well. While his humility 
and personal religion, secured to him the heart of 
his tutor, his diligence in study prepared him for 
the respectable discharge of his future duties. 
We may, indeed, expect excellent ministers, 
where we see humble, devout, and industrious 
students ; for, the same spirit which produced 
docility at Northampton, rendered Darracott too 
tender of the body of Christ, to occasion a 
division at Chumleigh, and enabled him to outlive 
all opposition at Wellington. But an ungovern- 
able spirit in a subordinate station, portends 
fierce tyranny, or cold haughty reserve, when in 
the seat of office and of power. May our semi- 
naries be filled with such students, and our 
churches supplied with such pastors as Risdon 
Darracott. 

• The affectionate, profitable correspondence 
carried on between the tutor and his former 
pupil, was much to the praise and advantage of 
both. Doddridge shewed the heart of a scriptural 
teacher, " for the perfecting of the saints for the 
work of the ministry," by the intercourse which 
he maintained with the young men, after they 
left his house ; and Darracott ever proved his 
personal religion and zeal for the success of his 
ministry, by the manner in which he courted the 
counsel and exhortations of the former guide of 
his studies. Thus he was rendered anxious to be 
able to give a good account of his progress, to 
one, in whose esteem he wished to live ; and the 
tutor was kept alive to the great objects of his 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTt. 163 

Institution, by what he heard of the success which 
had attended the labours of his favourite pupil. 
There are no places, where these details are 
more needed, than at colleges, where the study of 
languages, science, and the technical part of 
preaching, too frequently turns away attention 
from the great objects of the ministry ; nor are 
such details ever so likely to be well received 
and improved by the students, as when they come 
from one who was the child and glory of their 
own alma mater. 

For the undiminished ardour of his religion, and 
the continuance of this success, Mr. Darracott 
deserves peculiar notice. From the hour of his con- 
version, to his death, he pursued one rapid course, 
keeping the goal incessantly in view. Neither 
science with its mental delights, nor pleasure 
with its sensual gratifications, nor wealth with its 
honours, could successfully throw the fatal apple 
to turn him aside from his course, or even check 
the rapidity of his progress. P^are felicity ! yet 
much to be desired ! 

He began divinely. Many, who afterwards 
prove eminent blessings, come from college with 
an ambition to shine as popular preachers, or as 
men of genius and literary eminence, rather than 
to glorify Christ in the conversion of his chosen. 
After some time spent under this unhallowed 
inspiration, they begin to sec the vanity of their 
pursuit, to despair of gaining distinction in this 
line, or to feel that such eminence leaves the 
conscience defiled with the guilt of self-seeking, 



164 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTl*. 

and the heart devoid of the consolations of use- 
fulness. Afflictions are kindly sent to accelerate, 
by increasing personal religion, the operation of 
these reflections ; and thus, the gay hearers at 
length lose their favourite orator, because the 
church of God has gained a faithful preacher, 
who is wise to win souls ! Happy is it when the 
new wine thus works itself clear. 

But, for many reasons, we may regret the 
necessity of such conversions. For it is not 
certain, that he who begins as a trifler in the 
pulpit, may not trifle till he drops into the grave. 
Or, while in this spirit, he may by righteous 
judgment be left to fall into some sin, which may 
blast his reputation, and with it, all hope of 
future usefulness. But, should he survive this 
dangerous period, he will look back with bitter 
regret, upon some of the best years of his life 
prostituted to a mean ambition. Had Risdon 
Darracott thus deferred, till thirty, his holy 
apostolic devotedness to his Master's service, 
half his twenty years of labour, which were all 
that heaven allotted him, would have expired 
before he began to work. It was his happiness, 
however, to work while it was day, from the 
morning when he blazed forth in the vicinity of 
Northampton, till he sunk in the shadows of the 
night of death, when no man can work. 

By this means, Mr. Darracott seized the most 
valuable portion of his time, and turned it to 
good account. There is an inexpressible charm 
in youth, which excites the sympathies of the 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT^ 165 

young, and the benevolence of the aged. But 
when youthful simplicity is seen in a pulpit, it 
only requires the wisdom of eminent piety, to 
render it at once lovely and mighty, to charm 
those of the same age, who will always be a 
most numerous class of hearers, and to surprise 
the older, who after having been accustomed to 
look back to former days for all that was valua- 
ble, are delighted to see, that provision is made 
for the edification of the church on earth, when 
they should be joining in the worship of heaven. 

But, unhappily, very young preachers often 
serve only to amuse their own contemporaries, 
and to disappoint their seniors. Mistaking the 
lowest for the highest of the human faculties, and 
fancying that imagination is a proof of genius ; 
they waste the most precious, sacred moments, in 
stringing flowers to form May-day garlands, when 
they should be drawing the bow of victory, and 
aiming the arrow at the heart. Surprise, there- 
fore, heightens delight, when a preacher is seen, 
like Spencer, of Liverpool, with the soul of a 
man in the body of a boy, with almost infantile 
graces in looks and tones, which serve only to 
take off* the sombre cast from the most serious 
thoughts, on the most awful themes. 

Without acquiring the extensive reputation of 
the youth just mentioned, Mr. Darracott improved 
all his early advantages to the noblest purpose, 
and thus availed himself of the most useful period 
of life. For as we have more vivacity in youth 
to devise new schemesj and more vigour for their 



166 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

execution, so it is the usual course of our gracious 
Lord, to smile on the first labours of his sincere 
servants, that he may satisfy them early with his 
mercy, and cause them to rejoice in his service all 
their days. 

The honours which Mr. Darracott so early ac- 
quired, he preserved to the end. Any open depar- 
ture from the holiness of the Gospel, embitters 
the Christian's subsequent days, and blasts the 
genuine honours of the minister, whatever eclat 
he may afterwards acquire with a party ; and 
even a relapse into lukewarmness may exchange 
the delights of the early part of life, for a 
disreputable and comfortless old age. This 
should, indeed, reconcile us to the loss of such 
men as Mr. Darracott in the prime of life. If 
they have done their work, it is their privilege 
to retire to their rest ; and if we mourn their loss, 
we should also rejoice that they lived not to sully 
their reputation, but left behind them such an 
example as rouses others to follow in their 
steps. 

The success of Mr. Darracott furnishes the 
more useful lesson, in consequence of his being 
below the first class in point of talent. Men 
of transcendent abilities excite that admiration, 
which paralyses rather than stimulates. Our 
self-love excuses the barrenness of our lives, by 
the plea of incapacity. Here we are taught, 
however, that not singular abilities, but unusual 
ardour, produced the extraordinary lives of Luther, 
Whitefield, and Darracott, while hundreds whose 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 167 

native powers were superior, have lived useless 
and died unmissed. The learned trifling of many 
has added nothing to the treasures of literature, 
but the plain sense and flaming piety of Darra- 
cott, won multitudes to the society of the just. 
Perhaps the greater part of those who will shine 
in heaven with distinguished lustre, as having 
turned many to righteousness, will be found to 
be men, not of transcendent powders, but of 
ordinary capacities improved to the utmost by 
holy zeaL 

But, perhaps, this train of thinking is neither 
safe nor correct. If the divine mind has branded 
sin w^ith the mark of folly, and declared that " the 
fear of the Lord is the beginning of w isdom ;" 
that " a good understanding have all they that 
do God's commandments ;" if " Jesus Christ was 
the wisdom of God incarnate ;" then the men 
who aim most directly at the same object for 
which Christ sacrificed himself, are of the first 
order of minds ; and it is a depraved habit of 
thinking, which ascribes superiority to those, who 
may complain with the learned Grotius, vitam 
perdidi operose nihil agendo, '^ I have thrown 
away my life, while labouring to do nothing." 

If those who are entering on the work of the 
ministry, may here learn that, with moderate 
abilities, they may indulge the hope of distin- 
guished usefulness ; they see also, that to conse- 
crate themselves to this object, is to secure a life 
of happiness. While many are fretting at the 
weight of their labours, the obscurity of their 



168 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

station, or the smallness of their income ; this 
good man esteemed it his felicity to have no time 
to spare ; his honour to hide himself where he 
might most promote the divine glory ; and his 
wealth to put others in possession of the durable 
riches of righteousness. 

Far from repining that he was exiled to the 
narrow sphere of a little country town, his 
enlarged heart told him that his station demanded 
more than he had time or strength to accomplish. 
The pecuniary embarrassments which he felt 
were but momentary, for his wants were soon 
supplied ; and while they lasted, the strength of 
his faith and the ardour of his zeal, prevented 
them from doing more than proving to his own 
conscience and to others, that he could willingly 
make any sacrifice for Christ and his cause. The 
care of his family, he cheerfully devolved upon 
him whom he had served in the gospel ; nor was 
his confidence vain. 

He was too busy to be devoured by ennui, a 
worm which can feed only on bodies at rest. If 
the labourer, who has to support a large family, 
by the work of his own hands, is secured from 
this torment of the rich, it is a shame for the 
ministers of Christ, who having the care of 
immortal souls, should be labourers indeed, to feel 
their time hang heavy on their hands. Every 
faithful pastor finds the day too short ; and this is 
the grand secret of human happiness, to be em- 
ployed to the utmost in engagements pleasant to 
our taste. 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 169 

Nor was Mr. Darracott ever left to complain of 
want of society, or to seek in worldly company, 
what he could not find among his flock. As a 
good shepherd, he loved the sheep which he had 
undertaken to feed. What they wanted in wealth 
or mental culture, they made up to him by affec- 
tion and veneration, and the peculiar interest 
which is felt, when the language of the Apostle 
can be adopted. " Ye have acknowledged that we 
are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the 
day of the Lord Jesus. For what is our hope, our 
joy, or crown of rejoicing ? Are not even ye in 
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his 
coming ? For ye are our glory and joy." 

This example of a happy life, was crowned by 
the delights of a still more extraordinary death. 
Fruitful as religion has been in victories over the 
last enemy, it would be difiicult to select an 
instance equal in exquisite delights, amidst the 
most excruciating pains, and in uninterrupted 
anticipations of eternal triumph through a pro- 
tracted struggle with the king of terrors. Many 
single expressions of dying saints might be 
mentioned, equal to any that dropped from the 
lips of Risdon Darracott. His biographer is at 
this moment, indeed, reminded of a valued friend, 
George Moir, of Aberdeen, in whose house he 
once lived, and whose death was, like his life, an 
eminent display of the power of evangelical truth. 
After having been worn out by long and painful 
illness, his wife told him that the change of his 
countenance indicated the speedy approach of 
15 



170 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

death. " Does it," he replied, '' bring me a 
glass." On looking at himself in the glass, he 
was struck with the appearance of a corpse 
which he saw in his countenance ; but giving the 
glass back, he said, with calm satisfaction, " Ah, 
Death has set his mark on my body, but Christ 
has set his mark upon my soul." To record this 
instance of holy triumph over death, is too grate- 
ful to the writer's feelings, to suggest the necessi- 
ty of an apology, and he is willing to hope that 
it may prove so welcome to the Christian reader, 
as to induce him to say that it needs none. 

Mr. Darracott^s death was a long continued 
scene of delights, which produced a mighty im- 
pression on all around. The wicked who heard, 
were compelled to say, '' Let me die the death 
of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." 
But the righteous, exulted to see the happy con- 
sequences of a life devoted, as Risdon Darra- 
cott's had been, to the true end of living, the 
divine glory and the interests of eternity. They 
saw that if he was cut off in the midst of his days, 
which worldly prudence would have said were 
shortened by his excessive labours, it was by such 
a death as was itself the prelibation of the glory 
to which it conducted him, and was sufficient to 
induce us, who most fondly cling to life, to ex- 
claim. " to enjoy such an end, I would, this 
moment, gladly lie down and die." 

While, indeed, many shrink from the incessant 
labours of the Christian ministry, and deem them 
aggravated by the scorn of the world, the censure 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 171 

of false professors, and an inadequate income ; all 
who faithfully consecrate themselves to the work, 
from pure motives, find it sweetened with plea- 
sures of the most exquisite relish, and, in the end, 
recompensed with honours and consolations to 
which the glories of the world are infamy, and 
its delights bitterness. 

The church at Wellington severely felt the 
loss of its faithful pastor, and found that such 
men are the peculiar gifts of the chief Shepherd, 
and are not bestowed every day. But it is pleas- 
ant to be able to state, that after many vicissi- 
tudes, the flock once so highly favoured, is again 
flourishing. May the spirit of Elijah, as well as 
his mantle, descend on Elisha ; that the church 
may glorify Him, who after the lapse* of half a 
century, has given them another Darracott. 



EXTRACTS 



FROM 



MR. DARRACOTT'S CORRESPONDENCE, 



MR. WALKER, OF TRURO, TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

My dear and highly respected friend, 
You put me under so much obligation, that I 
will not think of repaying it. You admit me 
among ybur friends : as such I shall use you. 
God be praised, I have not a heart insensible to 
religious friendship. Yet how short am I of that 
generous love wherewith you speak. O excuse 
my coldness. Dr. Doddridge was not my tutor. 
Gracious man ! I love him more, since I have 
known you. O the living epistle ! it is that 
which speaks. 

Thank you, dear sir, for the correspondence 
you have so kindly begun : may the divine grace 
direct it to mutual usefulness ! But I insist upon 
one preliminary ; that you do not think and 
speak so highly of me. In truth, I cannot bear 
it. The bent of my heart, for many years, was 
after praise ; nor dare I trust it now, with ap- 
probations so warm, so affectionate as yours. 
You have raised my earnest expectations by 



MEMOIRS OF DARKACOTT. 173 

the promise made me, of the success of your 
ministry. Accounts of the work of grace, draw 
out my soul in praise and love to the great Re- 
deemer, quicken my diligence, and direct me 
more wisely to correspond vrith the will of the 
Spirit, in my ministrations. 

With these views, 1 sit down to make you more 
particularly acquainted than you are by mine to 
good Dr. Guise, with what God has done for us 
here. 

It was in the beginning of the year 174S,that 
a young man, who had been a soldier in the regi- 
ment raised by Lord Falmouth, and during that 
time, had given himself up to the too common 
vices of that kind of people, was awakened and 
brought under great terrors, in the hearing of one 
of my sermons. This was my first, and as such 
my dearest child. I watched and rejoiced over 
him. Suffer me to indulge the fondness of a 
father over my dear departed boy. With thank- 
ful consolation, I reflect how God WTOUght in him 
and by him. His conduct drew the attention of 
the whole town. God left him about a year and 
a half with me : during which time, with an 
unshaken firmness of faith, and constancy in con- 
duct, amidst perpetual opposition, and the strife 
of tongues, he lived (I trust) a Christian. About 
the end of that year, some other young men, con- 
vinced by his example, applied to me. And 
before his death, which was in June, 1750, their 
number was considerably enlarged ; and both 
women and men (for the most part young persons) 
15* 



174 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT/ 

had shewn great concern about salvation. But I 
think the principal work began immediately upon 
his death, which begat a visibly anxious distress 
upon the whole town. I judged a sermon requi- 
site upon such an occasion. The blessings of the 
Spirit were very remarkably with the providence 
and the word ; for, quickly after, the numbers 
which applied to me daily, were so large, that I 
was obliged to rent (for more convenience) two 
rooms at a distance from my lodging, being a 
boarder, wherein to see them. For this year 
past, having a house of my own, I see them 
at home. 

I know nothing particular in this work, except 
it may be, that the far greater part have been 
brought to the acknov/ledgment of the truth, in 
a very gentle way. Very few have been struck 
into terrors ; though some have. The most have 
been impressed with a sort of mournful uneasi- 
ness ; and have been brought to Christ in a 
sorrowing kind of way. Yet I have reason to 
believe, that their convictions have been deep, 
since, of the multitudes which have drawn back, 
I cannot find above one or two, who have been 
able to shake them quite off. Possibly it may be 
added to this, that they are importunately carried 
out after inward holiness, striving against in- 
dwelling sin. Known only to God are all his 
works ; yet in general, we can guess at the 
reason of such singularities, admiring the wisdom 
and goodness of God. May not the gentleness of 
this procedure, and its tendency, be in a corres- 



MEMOIRS OF DAKRACOTT. 175 

pondence of the Spirit with the manner of 
preaching ? Mine hath been a display of the 
law and ihe gospel ; holding forth the promises 
of the one, and the threatenings of the other : 
and the corruption of nature, and the necessity 
of a new heart, as the great fruit and evidence 
of faith in Jesus Christ, have been in the fullest 
manner explained and insisted on. 

Sometimes the pourings out of the Spirit seem 
to have been suspended, and we have lain under 
a lamentable coldness ; till the falling away of 
some hath provoked the zeal of others, and we 
have been blessed with fresh influences. From 
too probable reasons, I am inclined to charge 
these declensions upon my own want of fortitude 
and resoluteness in opposing the torrent of vice, 
and the influence and faces of some great ones 
who live among us. In whicli 1 am the more 
confirmed from hence, that such decays we have 
not sufl'ered in any considerable degree, since we 
have more boldly made profession of ourselves in 
the lately erected society. Yours truly, 

S. Walker. 
Truro ^ March 5, 17 55. 
My very dear Sir, 

I laboured hard to get an hour or two for you, 
last week, but it would not be, so I must be 
content. Yet often was I with you in spirit, for 
all that, praying for and joying over you. It is 
not just when 1 would, I can enjoy the pleasure, 
which writing my friend gives me. Then I enjoy 
jou most, when I hear or write. Your health is 



176 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

a great concern of mine. I am pleasing myself 
with the hope, that your tar-water, and the nursing 
of good Mrs. D. will establish you. Pray, doth 
she drive you to bed in good season ? I have 
been so much hurt by the contrary practice, that 
I fear you may be so too. It is hard to break 
the neck of that ill custom. Men that think 
much, and labour hard, must have sleep, their 
faculties will not do without it, and, on the whole, 
it is no time lost, to crazy constitutions especially. 
Good Joseph Allen, and our dear Dr. D. might 
sleep but five hours. I thought three or four years 
ago, I could do with six, but it will not be. 

You revived and supported me, with the letter 
Mr. Cruttenden gave you about my affairs. He 
is a judicious man, indeed, though I see he con- 
ceives by far too high notions of us, for which I 
know I am indebted to the overflowing heart of 
Mr. Darracott. The favours he designs me, I 
shall thankfully accept, and will quickly write 
him, which I hope he will allow me to do. You 
have his letter returned, with a thousand thanks ; 
after I had taken a copy of all which relates to 
us ; for which, I presume upon your pardon, as 
also that I have kept it so long. 

With it you have also Mr. Hayward's, from 
whom I have since received one to the same 
effect, and answered it, and that in the affirma- 
tive too, notwithstanding you set me so bad an ex- 
ample, and deterred me with your false modesty. 
You are certainly in mistake upon that point. 
Without having high conceit of our talents, we 



MEMOIRS OF DAKRACOTT. 177 

may use those we have, when Christ calls for 
them. I am very sensible that many every 
where, are of ability, and capacity, and grace, 
fitter for this business than myself; but still, that 
does not satisfy me, when I am called on, to deny 
doing what I can. 

Give me leave to transcribe what I wrote Mr, 
Hayward on this head. «• 1 am peculiarly deligh- 
ted that we are forgetting our prejudices, on the 
one part and the other ; and that God hath put it 
into the hearts of many, of various denominations, 
to join their hands together for the support of the 
only cause, which should be maintained with 
warmth, and can never be yielded without the 
most ruinous consequences. The scheme you 
have in hand, hath been mentioned in my 
prayers, Mr. Darracott having communicated it 
to me. I have great confidence in the success of 
it, both from the evident simplicity of the design, 
and upon that account, from the hope that the 
members will be kept from diflTerence. You 
would have me one. I will tell you plainly, I 
dont think myself qualified for it, being one of 
lower attainments than you think of, and yet, 
since you lay it upon me, and the design is so 
excellent, 1 dont know that with good conscience 
I can decline. Whatever I have and am, all 
belong to Christ ; and if he shall be pleased to 
make use of my little, I dare not refuse. The 
safest way, tiierefore, for the work and me will be 
this, that I transmit to you my Essay in good 
season, laying it on you to determine, if it be fit 



178 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

to be made use of or not ; and insisting that you 
use so much freedom with it, as not to publish it, 
if it be not likely to do service : which I should 
be a strange creature indeed, if I should take 
amiss ; and I beg you to believe, I shall not. I 
would not that the success of your undertaking 
should be stopt by compliments of any kind." 

Indeed, I have much hope the thing will do 
good, and only fear lest any notions may thrust in 
and disturb it. To prevent which, I have pro- 
posed to Mr. Heyward, that a material scheme 
be first drawn up, which may make a sort of 
practical body in the whole of it, and determine 
the points upon which every member is to write. 
And now. Sir, I desire to know what you have to 
say for yourself ; and to assign me one little 
reason why you should decline that, which you 
press me to. 

Your little tracts are well collected, and will 

make a valuable addition to w^hat I commonly 

distribute. The Compassionate Address, <^c. is 

the very thing I have needed ; familiar, earnest, 

awakening : just fit to be put into the hands of a 

careless world. I esteem greatly all the rest in 

their kind, but they are not so much needed. I 

have seen none of them before, except Doddridge 

on Family Prayer. Pray, who wrote the Life of 

Faith? I never saw any thing equal to it. The 

Guide to Heaven, and Example of Heavenly 

Contemplation, are of your preparing. Both 

of them, I think, are suited to do much good. 

I am peculiarly obliged, for the trouble you 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 179 

have given yourself about my sermons ; and for 
your speedy transmitting them to the good 
Doctor, I fear it will give too much pain to him 
to read them, which yet, as I have not heard from 

him, I suspect he is doing. So far I had 

written six days ago : but could go no farther, so 
continually am I taken up. 

Since the above, I have a letter from my dear 
old Doctor. He gives me a character of my 
sermons, which makes me hope they will be of 
some service, by the blessing of God, and deter- 
mines me to print them without delay. You 
mentioned a Printer to me, and I thanked you 
for your recommendation ; but I believe did not 
mention a condition, upon which only I could 
accept it, which was, in case Mr. Cruden was so 
disordered, as not to be able to engage in it ; for 
to him, application had been made a great while 
before. I have, last week, a letter from him, and 
Dr. Guise tells me, he is as capable as ever. 
I am quite ignorant of every step to be taken 
upon this occasion, and have requested my 
honoured friend, the Doctor, (to whose kindness 
I am above measure indebted) to give me direc- 
tions, and to take order about it. When I hear 
from him again, I shall be able to inform you in 
what manner, and when they will be printed. 
Meantime, my dear friend, help them with your 
prayers, that they may be made instrumental to 
do some little service in these evil days. 

I have a strong desire, and some kind of hope, 
that my brethren in the establishment, may have 



180 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

the curiosity to see, what so strange a man, as I 
am commonly accounted, may have to say. O 
may God bring the doctrines, which I trust they 
contain, home to their hearts ! I would that all 
were even as I am ; but these peculiarly, because 
they have opportunities of usefulness beyond any 
other. ' As I am,' did I say ? I am ashamed of the 
expression. I would wish them, zealous, self- 
denied ministers of Christ, a character which ill 
suits me. Alas, my friend, what shall I do w^ith 
this wretched heart ? Surely I am without hope 
but in Christ, being in myself vile beyond imagi- 
.nation; too, too apt to be vain of what is but 
given me, and which I ought to use with fear and 
trembling to God's honour ; apt to complain 
under many dispensations ; slothful, and ready to 
fear where no fear is. Yet I find, his grace is 
sufficient for me, and daily cause he gives me to 
wonder, upon the review of what he is doing for 
my soul. My dear friend, the more I know my 
heart, the less I like it. Fallen man is a monster 
indeed ; if, at least, others are like me. Be at a 
little pains to lay bare my corrupted heart. Let 
me have a share of your experience in self-know- 
ledge. It will be peculiarly agreeable and profit- 
able ; and I assure you, very needful at this time, 
when such men as Dr. Guise approve my labours. 
You expect always to know how we stand 
Here^ much as usual. But elsewhere, w^e seem to 
get ground. My dear Mitchel writes me, that his 
company is advanced to thirty. You would love 
that dear man, could you see him. Penrose too, 



r 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 181 

hath a larger number about him, and I am full of 
hope from that side. But, my friend, don't say 
much of this at present. Only pray for us, and 
for the Divine Blessing on our meeting, the 18th 
instant, which will be our first club. 

I had thought of writing you a more particular 
letter ; but must defer that, till I have more 
leisure to do it. Meantime, let us not be forget- 
ful of each other, nor of the work of the Lord, 
praying always for the building up of Jerusalem. 
Believe me, yours in all sincerity, 

S. Walker. 
P. S. Favour me with an account what the 
Preaching Bible is, Mr. Cruttenden mentions : 
and what it may cost. 

Truro, January 24, 1757. 
Very dear Sir, 
Be assured I am not. pleased, when I pm de- 
laying to write my dear friend y especially, when 
the Father of mercies and consolations has put it 
in my power to revive your spirit with glad 
tidings, and to stir up your supplications on our 
behalf. I doubt not you will have received from 
London, a copy of my letter to Mr. Sheafe, and 
through him to the Society, thanking them for a 
generous supply of books, and in which, I had 
opportunity of acquainting them with their provi- 
dential arrival, and the desirable use made of them. 
Soon after that date, the route came, and they 
left us the 19th instant, after nine weeks stay. 
You would have been moved at our parting. I 
called them together the evening before, with a 
16 



182 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

good number of our people, in the society-room. 
We recommended them to God, and the power of 
his grace, and made a parting exhortation for this 
world. Had you seen their countenances, what 
thankfulness, love, sorrow, and joy. sat upon 
them ! They hoped they might bring forth some 
fruit ; they hoped to meet us again at the right 
hand of Jesus in his illustrious day ! Amen, 
Amen. Some of them could not speak, their 
hearts were full, and we parted without a word. 
I have never seen such a distressing, comfortable 
scene. They w^ent off, next morning, praising 
God for us 'y and, when just losing sight of the 
town, they looked back, and said again and again, 
" God bless Truro." '« Desire Mr. Walker to 
raise some recruits for us among the soldiers," 
was the last message by some of our young men, 
who brought them some miles on their way. 

Well, sir, the same evening, a party came from 
Falmouth, to stay the night. Six of these volun- 
tarily came to me ; were much impressed ; and I 
gave them a letter to the others. But I was not 
satisfied I had not endeavoured to see more of 
them that evening, the thought of which had 
escaped me. I was determined to attempt it, 
next night, when another party from Hilstone, 
about twenty miles off, were to quarter with us. 
I sent out the press-gang, as they call our people 
of the society ; because when I have any particular 
exercises, either at the society-room, or my own 
house, they go out, and bring in all they meet. 
Our new guests were glad of the news, and in 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 183 

half an hour, my boys had collected not less than 
threescore of them. I was to speak but once to 
them, and see them no more. The most had 
never heard of Christ. It is no wonder, if even 
my cold heart was a little stirred on such an occa- 
sion. Indeed, it was very striking. I could have 
spoke and prayed all night. There were many 
tears among them. I never saw any thing 
more promising. They went away to the others, 
with a pamphlet or two each. So they are all at 
Dock together, where I am sure you will pray 
for them. Some are still with us, the present 
objects of my care and prayers. They are but 
few ; and so, much on duty. However, I saw 
more than a dozen of them last night about me'; 
who seemed to receive the word, with a sort of 
readiness ; and have promised to be with me 
often, — I have inclosed a letter from one of them, 
written since they went to Dock, w^hich I believe 
will rejoice you ; and which I beg you to return. 
The writer, I think, when he came hither, knew 
little more of Christ, than if he had lived in China. 
Indeed, he is a man of excellent natural parts, 
and the deep distress of soul he has been under, 
particularly the first month, led him to the most 
attentive application. Lochyan told me, he would 
soon write his father. Your letter to him was 
very seasonable. I read it to all the soldiers. 
That young man was in a promising way when 
he left us. 1 have great confidence in him and 
joy over him. 

I could say a great deal more : but am just 



184 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

going to meet some of our society, in a private 
exercise. The Lord be with you in your soul 
and ministry. Forget not at the throne of grace, 
Your very affectionate brother in the best bonds, 

S. Walker. 

rROM THE REV. MR. JONES, OF ST. SAVIOUr's, 
SOTJTHWARK, TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Castle-street^ in the Park, Southwarkj 
March 21, 1758. 
Reverend and honoured Sir, 
I am ashamed to own I received your letter, 
because the very acknowledgment will accuse 
me of ill manners and ingratitude : to plead my 
multiplicity of business, and very frequent ill- 
ness, would be but a poor excuse, and betray a 
very bad cause. Shall I then, relying on dear 
Mr. Darracott's indulgence, honestly own the 
truth ? Two things have conspired to make me 
act thus rudely by my honoured correspondent. 
They are indolence and pride. The former of 
these makes me very averse to writing to any 
one, and the latter has hitherto prevented my 
answering yours. Indeed, dear sir, your letter 
quite disconcerted me ; and finding how high 
(much too high) an opinion Mr. Darracott had 
entertained of me, I was really afraid to unde- 
ceive him, and was very unwilling to convince 
him, by my letters, hovi^ much he was mistaken. 
A consciousness of my insufficiency made me 
wish to preserve Mr. Darracott's esteem, and 
at the same time not expose myself to so dis-^ 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 185 

eerning a mind as his ; but I have since found 
that my heart (as usual) has greatly deceived 
me ; what I vainly thought was the effect of 
modesty, I now perceive to be rank, sinful pride. 
A desire to keep self unexposed has made me 
behave thus unhandsomely to an honoured fa- 
ther in Christ ; and when I consider how many 
useful and instructive letters of dear Mr. Darra- 
cott's I may have lost, I cannot but repent of 
my past misconduct. Having now confessed my 
crime, I already anticipate my honoured friend's 
forgiveness, and think myself assured of a recon- 
ciliation ; in this confidence I will proceed, 
without farther apology for inability. 

I think myself happy, dear sir, in the notice 
you take of me in your letter, and can only say, 
that if you v/ould have me go forward, and wish 
to see me become an useful minister of the church 
of Christ, yourself, dear sir, (under God) must 
contribute to it, by favouring me with your 
advice, from time to time, by giving me such 
instruction as you must be sensible I want, — such 
as I humbly hope, I shall receive with thank- 
fulness, and follow with pleasure. You see, sir, 
bow I am drawing you into a frequent cor- 
respondence ; let me hope to see it begun by a 
speedy answer to this, which, God willing, shall 
meet with as speedy and punctual a reply. O, 
how do I honour (I had almost said envy) Mr. 
Darracott his warmth of heart and glow of zeal, 
who can thus rejoice at the enlargement of the 
Mediator's kingdom, and with pleasure own his 
16* 



186 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

Master's image, though he finds it stamped on 
the coarsest subject! I can say that I have 
much to be thankful for to rich, sovereign 
grace ; but, alas ! so cold, so frozen, so lifeless, 
is my heart, that the vital heavenly flame which 
our dear Immanuel has kindled there, is too, too 
often, almost extinguished. I want more zeal 
for God's glory ; more love for precious souls. 
Another complaint I have to make is, that this 
cursed self will put in its claim for the honour of 
what the Mediator works in and by me. 

These, dear sir, I can truly say, are weights and 
clogs upon my mind. Think for me, pray for me, 
and give me some directions how to keep this fire 
alive, how to revive a dying zeal, how to lie low 
in my own esteem ; in short, how to fly from self. 
I need not tell you what a real benefit you will be 
the instrument of conveying to me. Thus, sir, 
you see I have cut out work for your next letter 
— let me expect it soon ! You desire in yours to 
have the particulars of my success in the ministry. 
This, God willing, shall be the subject of my 
next. Accept, dear sir, of my sincerest thanka 
for the favour of your books. May our dear 
Master accompany them with his blessing. Mr, 
Mason, a tradesman, is the author of the '' Plain 
Sermon for Little Children ;" have you any of 
them ? if not, please to let me know. I am, 
dear sir, your affectionate brother and servant in 
Christ, 

T. Jones* 



¥ 



I 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 187 

The following is thought to be from the cler- 
gyman, who was won to the Redeemer by Mr. 
Williams's conversation, as mentioned in hii 
Diary. A new and enlarged edition of which ia 
just published, by his descendant, Mr. Hanbury. 
Very dear Sir, 

I received your kind letter, and am greatly 
obliged to you for those overtures of your friend- 
ship and correspondence ; I embrace it with the 
utmost pleasure. Your letter, indeed, brought me 
melancholy tidings ; the death of dear Williams 
affected me very nearly, and many tears of deep 
concern have I shed on that account, for he was 
my dearest friend, nay, father : he was related to 
me in the nearest manner, and, I trust, our hearts 
were united in the indissoluble bonds of Chris- 
tian love. He is no more to instruct me in person ; 
yet, though dead, he speaketh, and his words 
come to me attended with a peculiar power ; for 
since the receipt of yours, I have read over some 
of his valuable letters to me, and every thing he 
says comes home to my heart ; the awfulness of 
that reflection of his being now with God adds 
weight to his words. Oh ! what reason have I 
to be thankful to the Almighty for my acquaint- 
ance with that dear man ! Oh ! that I may re- 
tain a grateful sense of it, and feel my heart glow 
with love to God for his immense favours to so 
worthless and insensible a creature ! O Lord, who 
can fathom the depth of thy mercy to a wretch 
who has merited thine everlasting indignation ; 
and, had not thy grace been abundant, whos« 



188 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

crimes would have called down, before now, thine 
avenging hand to have destroyed such a daring 
worm from off the face of the earth ! Bat thou, 
O merciful Lord, hast delivered, and I trust will 
yet deliver me. 

But I beg, dear sir, as I have lost the prayers 
of one wrestling Jacob, you would be so good as 
to supply his place, and remember me when you 
approach the throne of grace, particularly that I 
may walk in the light of God's countenance, and 
that my corruptions, which darken my sight, may 
be destroyed. I have, indeed, a wicked heart, 
may God cleanse it, and break down every idol 
that pretends to rival his reign there : it is my 
constant prayer that the Redeemer's kingdom 
may be established in my soul. If I know my- 
self; I. think that I desire, above all things, to 
live to God only, and to be dead to self, to the 
world, to its censures, to its applauses ; but, oh, 
'tis hard ! yet we have this comfort, that we can 
do all things through Christ strengthening us. 

You speak of a parcel, sir, that Mr. Rawlings 
has sent you for me, it will indeed come to me 
very acceptable ; and, dear sir, whatever you will 
be pleased to send, will be most gratefully re- 
ceived. You know the extensive benefit your 
kind services that way may be of, in assisting 
a mere novice with supplies to feed many hun- 
gering and thirsting souls ; for I can say of my 
congregations, they hear with the utmost atten- 
tion, and seem to be conscious it is for their 
souls ; and, thank God, they have no prejudice, 



MEMOIRS OP DARRACOTT* 189 

but on the contrary, a tender love for me, and 
honour me for my work's sake. I hope I shall 
be kept faithful, and deliver them the whole 
counsel of God ; and whatever helps my dear 
friends will contribute to the execution of my 
desire, I shall most thankfully acknowledge. We 
are to meet at Bath to-morrow ; I believe that 
there will be seven or eight of us. I hope that 
God will abundantly prosper it. At the last 
meeting, business prevented me from attending. 
Of our method of proceeding, I will take an 
opportunity to give an account. 

I had the pleasure of breakfasting with Lady 
Huntingdon last Wednesday, and took the liberty 
of shewing her your account of Mr. Williams' 
death. 

With thanks for your prayers, and kind wishes 
on my behalf, I beg leave to subscribe myself, 
dear and reverend sir, your affectionate friend^ 
and unworthy brother, - J. Brown. 

Chewton, Jan. 11, 1757. 

DR. GIBBONS TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Reverend and dear Sir, 
Though I have delayed answering your letter, 
yet the delay has not arisen from any thing like 
an intention first to interrupt, and then to con- 
clude our correspondence. Your correspondence 
is such as breathes of heaven ; and how much do 
I want of heavenly breath, that my poor dying 
spark may be quickened and inflamed ! Believe 
me, sir, that I am a strange composition ; some- 
thing, I trust, like the divine life I do feel, but 



190 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

how is it damped, clouded, and depressed, by 
creature-attachments, and violent tendencies to 
mortal, if not to sinful objects ! Of late, I have 
been greatly afflicted. My pulpit, where I trust I 
have found some divine enlargement and pleasure, 
has been a place of terror and distress to me. 
Foreign, impertinent, and even worse thoughts 
than these, have broke in upon my mind while I 
have been praying, and preaching, and have 
seemed as if they would be uttered, and thus has 
my mind been thrown into confusion and horror, 
when it should have been all divine attention and 
devotion. Through mercy, last Lord's-day, I was 
something better, but I need help ; help me then, 
my friend, with your prayers. I believe a nervous 
complaint in my head may contribute its part 
towards this affliction ; but I have been ready to 
think that the enemy of souls, and of all righteous- 
ness, has a concern in this disorder, and that he 
may possibly make weak nerves the place where 
he erects his gloomy banners, and whence he 
shoots off his fiery darts. I design to go into the 
country in a little time, and to make use of the 
cold bath. Oh ! that I may be able to derive a 
spiritual benefit from this affliction. 
Yours truly, 

T. Gibbons. 

MR. BENJAMIN FORFITT TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Dear and reverend sir, 
I received your kind letter, and rejoice in that 
superiority of mind which you express above the 
transitory events of a fading world, and the fell- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 191 

city you enjoy in the sense of the divine love 
and goodness. I cannot but think that spirits 
born of God, and preparing for his glory, may 
well be contented with any state of being here, 
which the wisdom and love of their heavenly 
Father sees fit for them ; especially if he so far 
honours them as to make them the instruments 
of his praise. I confess when I see Christians, 
who profess their hopes of a heavenly happiness, 
repining and complaining under the tolerable in- 
conveniences of life, or pursuing the wealth or 
pleasures of the world with eager and unsatisfied 
desires, it gives me a narrow idea of their know- 
ledge either of God or themselves : a little por- 
tion of the world will satisfy the real wants of 
nature ; and I am sure nothing but the infinite, 
eternal good, can be a suitable happiness to the 
immortal spirit of man. Through the divine 
grace, I trust the language of my heart is, 
# 

I envy not the rich man's wealth, 

Or pine to see iiis store ; 
With what I have, I'm pleased much, 

With what I hope for, more. 

I am not for a voluntary poverty, because the 
bounties of Providence may be so beneficially 
applied to the relief of others ; but I have often 
thought a low estate honourable, as it is the 
nearest conformity to the condition of our blessed 
Lord and Master here upon earth ; and who 
would not rejoice in any degree of similitude to 
a pattern so divine, and a person so dear ! But 



192 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

I must forbear, lest I should contradict by my 
practice, what I profess by my pen. If my long 
silence needs an apology, my good friend will 
please to accept this, that he would have been 
troubled with an epistle sooner, had I any oppor- 
tunity of tendering him any service therein, and 
any religious reflections which my correspond- 
ence could produce, are doubtless rendered 
needless by the superior possessions of his own 
mind. 

As to the books for the poor you mentioned, I 
find myself prevented at present in that piece of 
service, by our friend Mr. Cruttenden. Permit 
me, sir, to subscribe myself, with cordial and 
Christian affection, 

Your friend and servant, 

Benjamin Forfitt. 

MR. HERVEY TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Dear Mr. Darracott, 
I have received your charitable present, and 
have blessed God for giving you a willing mind, 
not only to promise, but to perform. I thank 
you very sincerely, for your animating and in- 
structive letter. So far am I from being offended 
at your affectionate plainness, that I wish for and 
beg a continuation of it. Yes, indeed, I wish 
that you would continue the correspondence, and 
communicate to me, whatever you think may 
awaken my too sleepy soul, and direct my raw 
and inexperienced youth. You have many valuable 
opportunities of getting, what I find to be very ., 



IHEMOlilS Oh UAKKAtOTT. 193 

necessary for a promoter of piety, the wisdom of 
the serpent. The worthy Doctor, who is so well 
acquainted with books and men, can tell you what 
are the most likely baits to catch souls. What 
pious and successful fraud the Apostle meant, 
when he said, " I caught you with guile." 

The preceding was written a considerable time 
ago. But I was prevented once, and again, from 
finishing and sending it. Can you pardon, dear 
sir, my seemingly disrespectful delay ? I know 
that you both can, and will pardon it. Never- 
theless, I shall be heartily glad to have my pardon 
signed and sealed by your own hand. I hope God, 
the merciful and gracious God, who put it into 
your mind to give me advice, will enable me to 
take it. 

Now, that you admonish me of what is right, 
I remember that I have done wrong. The books 
which I had lately to dispose of, were not distri- 
buted, till the day before my departure. So that 
my poor friends could have no time to read, 
neither could I have any, to remind them of the 
solemn and strict account they must, one day, 
make of their use of this talent. This I own (oh ! 
may the consideration humble me !) was not the 
part of a good and faithful steward ; who ought to 
make the best of all that belongs to his Lord, 
and (after his own excellent example) " see that 
nothing be lost." I hope I shall look upon 
the practice of the careful husbandman, as my 
direction in this particular. Of whom it is said, 
after he had cast seed into the ground, " that he 
17 



194 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

rose, night and day." I suppose, to look to his 
crop, and to mark how it came up. That he 
might have joy of it, if kindly and plenteous ; or 
take some proper methods with it, if thin and 
choked up with weeds. 

I wish you would suggest to me, what I must do, 
to further the gospel of God my Saviour. I employ 
every day an hour or more (which I think is as much 
time as I can spare from my studies) with seme well- 
inclined people of the poorer sort. We read Mr. 
Henry on the Holy Scriptures, and pray together. 
There is one set in one part of the city, and 
another in another. I meet at a neighbour's 
house. Oh ! that I could also open my mouth 
as he did ; so boldly, so powerfully ! Who will 
give me a little portion of that knowledge, which 
he had in the mysteries of the gospel ? that I may 
declare them to the people, clearly and con- 
vincingly. Above all, who will give me some of 
that humble zeal, that sacred and illustrious fer- 
vour, which animated him who laboured more 
abundantly than all the apostles ? 

I am preparing to enter into holy orders, and to 
take upon me the work of the ministry. That 
great, wonderful, and important work ! So that 
now I have the utmost reason to cry out, as the 
distressed fishermen did to their partners, " come 
and help me." Help me with your prayers to 
the Lord God my Saviour, that I " may receive 
the Holy Ghost, not many days hence," by the 
laying on of hands ; even " the spirit of wisdom 
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 196 

might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of 
the Lord." That he may be in me, rest upon 
me, and abide with me for ever. Making me fit, 
every way qualified, and thoroughly furnished 
for this sacred function. That I may fully dis- 
charge the duties of my great vocation, to the 
glory and immortal honour of God, and to the 
endless felicity of many of the sons of men. 

Dear sir, pray give my humble service, and 
best thanks to the Doctor. And beg of him, when 
he is in the acceptable time, to remember me, 
who am in the time of need. If he has any word 
of exhortation ; but, especially if he has any 
treasures of instruction, proper for a candidate of 
the ministerial oflSce, how glad should I be, if he 
would please to impart them ! and how gratefully 
should such a favour be ahvays acknowledged, by 
his, and your aflfectionate servant and brother in 
Jesus Christ, 

J. Hervey. 

Lincoln College, Oxon. Sept. 1, 1736. 

MR. DARRACOTT TO MRS. TRISTRAM. 

Wellington, Jan. 24. 
Dearest Madam, 
God is adding fresh seals to my ministry con- 
tinually, which are my exceeding great joy, 
amidst all the discouragement, and all the opposi- 
tion I meet with. Thus, indeed, the Lord is 
gracious to me, and I look upon it, intended as a 
support to me, under what I am suffering for his 
sake ; which is a little, having every evil thing 



196 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 



falsely said of me, and seeing many, that were 
once my friends, become shy of me, for no other 
reason, but because I profess a little more, though 
not a thousandth part enough, zeal for Christ. So 
I find it daily in these parts, and so I found it, 
when I was last at Barnstaple, where several, 
that once seemed warm friends, appeared cool 
towards me. But be it so. Hard as it is to 
flesh and blood, I hope I have so learned the 
worth of Christ, as to be able to give up the 
dearest friends and relations for him, and to 
Gount myself happy too, if I had not a friend upon 
earth, if Christ w^ere my friend. 

But he is not so far trying me yet, I have many 
friends, and such as are his ; among whom I think 
myself particularly honoured, and would be very 
thankful, in having such valuable ones as Madam 
Tristram, Mr. Welman and his lady. Nor do I 
doubt I shall ever lose such friendship for my 
warmest regards for Christ, when I have reason 
to believe, he is so precious to their souls. As 
for you, dear madam, you have long shewn, and 
oh, may you yet much longer, a becoming zeal 
for Christ ; and may your spirit breathe in your 
latest posterity. May none of the dear family of 
Poundisford be ever ashamed of Christ, or ever 
backward to bear their testimony to his glorious, 
though in the eyes of the world, despised interest. 
But may the line of Welman, as well as that of 
Hanmer and Tristram, make a bright figure at 
the right hand of Christ, in the great day, for their 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 197 

warm and zealous attachment to him, and his 
interest, here below. 

But it is time for me to conclude : which I 
cannot, without saying one word of my dear wife, 
who is much out of order, and very low spirited, 
and concludes within herself she shall not sur- 
vive this time. You may easily think how this 
impresses us both. Pray for her, dear madam, 
especially that her faith may not fail, and that 
God may be better than her fears. I wish for her 
sake, as well as my own, you and the dear 
family were returned. Such company has the 
greatest tendency to revive the spirits. We 
both join in the most respectful and most 
cordial services to you and dear Mr. Welman 
and his lady, with remembrances to the dear 
little ones, whom may God long preserve. You 
have all my warmest prayers, and oh, remember 
in yours, dear madam, your most unworthy, 
most affectionate, and most obliged, humble 
servant, 

Risdon Darracott. 

p. s. Mr. Fawcett is now here, in order to 
preach for me to-morrow. He presents his 
tender of services to the good family. There are 
some great revolutions in Taunton with respect 
to him, which he intends to give you a letter 
of next week ; he has had an invitation to Kid- 
derminster. 

17* 



198 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT, 

MRS. ANN BUTTON TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Great Gransden, near Caxton, 
Huntingdonshire, September 6, 1744. 
Reverend and dear sir, 

The most acceptable favour of your last 
kind letter. I received with joy, and return 
humble thanks. The account you gave me of the 
Lord's loving kindness towards you, rejoices my 
heart, excites my praises, and animates my 
prayers. Such grace as you are favoured with 
the displays of, is every way worthy of an infinite 
God ! You justly wonder at its- distinguishing 
nature ; that while others of the Lord's servants 
mournfully say, '' who hath believed our report ?" 
you have the joy to see sinners the chief, con- 
verted by your ministry ! Indeed, sir, this is a 
wide stretch of the exceeding riches of boundless 
grace ! Of that grace, which hath saved your 
soul, which hath chosen you to ministerial service, 
and which delights to honour you with eminent 
usefulness ; to your exceeding joy, and to the 
eternal praise of its immense glory ! 

Think it not strange that I style it a display of 
that same grace which saveth you. For though 
your soul might have been saved eternally, if you 
had been one of the least, and last of the members 
of Christ's body, and if you had not been called 
to the work of the ministry ; yet, as God, from 
the beginning, had chosen you to salvation, 
through faith in his Son, he held a counsel in him- 
self, before the world was, how he might display 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 199 

towards you, the exceeding riches of his salvation- 
grace ; and infinite wisdom pitched upon this 
way ; and infinite grace made a resolve concern- 
ing it. As if the Lord should say, " I will 
commend my free, sovereign love, the exceeding 
riches of my boundless grace, towards that dear 
object of my heart ; not only in saving his soul 
from the misery of sin, death, and hell, unto the 
joy and liberty of faith and holiness, and unto 
heaven's glory at last ; but I will save him unto 
eminent service to win many souls unto my Son 
Jesus, who shall be his exceeding joy, and as 
jewels to enrich his crown of glory, and make it 
massy to a blest eternity. He shall be a minister, 
a successful minister of the gospel of the blessed 
God. I will shew him such wonders of special 
grace, that shall overcome his heart with my 
infinite kindness, and shine in his salvation with 
a distinguished brightness, to his ineffable bliss, 
and my eternal praise. He shall see how freely 
and greatly an infinite God can love ; what 
miracles of grace and mercy Jehovah, Jehovah 
El, the strong God, as merciful and gracious, can 
work, while I do for him therein, exceeding 
abundantly more than he can ask or think." 

This, this, sir, was the language of God's heart 
concerning you, before time began, which hath 
opened, and opens, with glorious evidence in 
your call to the work of the ministry, and in your 
past and present usefulness. For you know 
•well, that the Lord God of your salvation 
worketh all things in special, gracious Providence, 



200 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

according to the counsel of his own will. Dr. 
Goodwin says, «•' It is mercy enough to be a 
minister ; God had but one Son, and he made 
him a minister !" And not only a minister, sir, 
for that you might have been, and have been a 
sweet savour of Christ unto God in your ministe- 
rial work, if your preaching the gospel of grace 
had been only a savour of death unto death in 
them that perish. But, O ! that you should be a 
minister owned of God for the salvation of men ; 
that your gospel ministry should prove the savour 
of life unto life to so many ! Favourite of heaven ! 
Indulged favourite ! Angels wonder at it ! Well 
may we ! '' We bless you out of Zion !" Con- 
gratulate your happiness, and seek your increas- 
ing bliss ! Truly you are heavy with glory ! 
And what that exceeding, that more exceeding, 
that far more exceeding weight of glory will be 
which is reserved for you to a boundless eterni- 
ty : " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard !" 

Blessed man ! Love and bless the Lord as you 
can ; and tell him, that by and for his grace you 
will give him glory, incessantly and perfectly, 
through the circling ages of your blest eternity ! 
And w^hen all is done that can be done, that 
ever will be done, God's free grace, his great 
grace, towards you in Christ, will forever be ex- 
alted, in its own immense display, far above all 
your blessing and praise ! Yea, exalted for ever 
will this free, great grace be, above all blessing 
and praise which, on your account, shall be giv- 
en unto God in Christ, by the innumerable hosts 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 201 

of saved men and glorious angels, unto endless 
ages ! Grace, in its immensity, none can know 
fully, nor praise adequately ; that have not in 
them a wisdom, a strength of infinity ! Put the 
work of praise, then, into your great Mediator's 
hands. He knows his Father's heart, and his 
marvellous works, 7'ight icell ! And will pi^aise 
him as the head of the church, for all his grace 
displayed and conferred on all its members. • 
Who, in their several places, and for their various 
services, were made in secret, and curiously 
wrought in the lowest parts of the earth ; while 
the Father's eyes beheld Christ's substance^ the 
substance of his body mystical, and in his book, 
all his members were written, for place and ser- 
vice, which in continuance, were fashioned for 
both, by grace to its eternal praise ! Countless, 
to Christ as man, were the numerous thoughts, the 
infinite thoughts, of his Father's grace unto him 
and his ! But Christ, as God, knows them all full 
well ; and being an infinite person, will render 
infinite praise to a God of infinite grace ! 

If you think not with me in this, sir, pardon 
me. I hint it, as it just occurred to thought. 
And will it not be an exceedingly great privilege 
to us, who are so greatly indebted to free grace, 
and so greatly insolvent, to give it an adequate 
praise ; that our great Lord will pay the mighty debt 
we owe, and give to a God of infinite grace the 
glory due ? Yea, that, as the head of the 
church, for all that infinite grace displayed to- 
wards his body, he will, being an infinite person. 



202 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

give it an infinite glory ! Here, in God's incar- 
nate Son, in our Immanuel, God with us, the 
Father's soul will find an infinite complacence, in 
an infinite praise for all his infinite grace ! 
However, insolvent as we are, let us offer a mite 
of duty, in the name of Jesus, in love to the 
glory of the God of grace ! until our feeble time- 
praises rise to the strength of eternity's loudest 
. hallelujahs. When our great Lord and Head, 
our glorious elder Brother, our everlasting Fa- 
ther, will present all his and their perfect prai- 
ses, and our services, to the highest acceptance 
in his most acceptable person, and all-transcend- 
ing praise unto his and our God and Father, with 
'' Behold / and the children which God hath giv- 
en me !*' In that view\ what an august, majestic 
work will the praise of heaven be ! '^ As the 
voice of a great multitude, as the voice oi many 
waters, as the voice of mighty thunderings ! yea, 
as the voice of the Lord God Omnipotent /" 

I rejoice, sir, that you are so greatly strength- 
ened by grace, for such abundant services, and 
for harvest labours, unto harvest pleasures : may 
" the power of Christ, still rest upon you, and 
his strength be made perfect in your weakness !" 
How^ great was the love of your three-one God, 
in reserving for you, and conferring upon you, 
such a new and great favour, together, as it were, 
with your newly-restored life from threatened 
death ! Life to you, with respect to the glory of 
Christ by you, in eminent service to his praise, 
was desirable to your heart in these views. And 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 203 

not the single blessing of life only, but the double, 
in a life of usefulness ; to God's glory, and your 
joy, is conferred upon you, by infinite bounty, by 
infinite love, and immensely great mercy !" 
" Your iniquities forgiven ; your life redeemed 
from destruction ; crowned thus you are with 
loving kindness and tender mercies !" For emi- 
nent service, upon your resurrection from a sick- 
bed, the Lord has designed you ; for this work, 
by his grace upon your heart in drawing out 
your desires after it, he eminently prepared you ; 
and to satisfy your longing soul with eminent ser- 
yice, he hath blessed you ! 

" This is the Lord's doing : it is marvellous in 
our eyes !" It is all of grace, free, rich, reigning 
grace, through the redeemer's righteousness, from 
first to last. But this we way observe, that where 
God draws out the heart into eager desires after 
eminent service (as he did yours, when you could 
iay, " you knew no delight but serving the Lord,") 
that soul is designed of God to be an eminent 
servant of his, and shall have its ardent desires 
turned into ineffable delights ! For though our 
Lord's love is every way a preventing love, and 
'' we love him, because he first loved us ;" yet 
where he draws out the principle of love in the 
hearts of his servants into eminent exercise, it is 
to be answered, it is to be rewarded, with glori- 
ous displays of infinite kindness ! 

" If any man love me (saith our Lord) he shall be 
loved of my Father ; and I will love him, and will 
manifest myself unto him." '' If any man serve 



204 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

me (if he earnestly desires, and endeavours to 
serve me) let him follow me : (^let him serve me ;) 
I make a grant of my service to him, he shall 
serve me ; and let him therein take me for his 
example ; let him follow me. And where I am 
(in the displays of my glory) there shall my ser» 
vant be ;" to his unspeakable joy. " If any man 
serve me, him will my Father honour." 

Well Dr. Goodwin observes, on Mary's stand- 
ing, weeping at the sepulchre for her absent 
Lord, when his disciples only came to it, looked 
in, and went their v/ay again, '' that Christ mani- 
fested himself to her, as he did not to a whole 
college of apostles." That ''faith carries it, 
above all the graces, in point of justification ; 
but love above all, in point of Christ's manifesta- 
tion." And most sweetly he adds, " Christ knows 
what it is to love ; and no soul shall die for the 
love of him." 

Of this, dear sir, you have had blessed expe- 
rience. And what you have yet seen is nothing, 
as it were, unto that which is still before you ; 
or rather, it is like God's laying the foundation 
of a vast, an endless superstructure ! For '' raised 
up from the depths of death unto the heights of 
life, in and with Christ, mystically and influen- 
tially ; it is, «« that God, who is rich in mercy, 
for the great love wherewith he loveth you', may 
shew, in the ages to come (make a shew unto 
endless ages of), the exceeding riches of his 
grace, in his kindness towards you, through 
Christ Jesus !" 

<' O man, greatly beloved!" tell them, continue 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 205 

to tell, the excellent loving-kindness of God our 
Saviour towards unlovely sinners. " Preach unto 
the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ !" 
and for success in winning souls to Jesus ! May 
you yet see '* greater things than these !" Little^ 
O little can you think, how kindly the Prince of 
Grace accepts your services ! How much he will 
say, before men and angels, when he appears, in 
commendation of those performances, which you 
call poor doings ! which you are ashamed of, 
before him, and bewail their weakness and im- 
perfection, with great lamentation ! Nor yet can 
you think, what a rich crown of immortal glory 
he will confer upon you, as a god-like reward of 
all your mites of duty, according to his ivfinite 
bounty ! " The Lord baptise you, with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire !" and hereafter bless you 
with the ineffable joy, the glorious honour, " of 
presenting the happy souls, you have espoused 
unto one Husband, and nourished up in faith, 
unto eternal life, as a chaste virgin unto Christ !'* 

Indeed, sir, highly-favoured of God is our 
honoured and beloved brother, Mr. Hervey, in 
that he is made such a bright witness for Christ, 
and the great truths of his glorious gospel in the 
earth ! Excellent and piecious is his last per- 
formance. 

You refresh my bowels in the Lord, while my 

reverend brother tells me, " that my poor books 

are of use to his dear people.'' May your joy be 

full, that seek to advance mine ! And a full 

18 



206 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

reward be given you of the Lord God of Israel^ 
who suffer a little child to cry '• Hosanna to the 
Son of David !'' May all your prayers for me be 
heard, and returned an hundred fold into your 
own bosom ! I beg the continuance of your in- 
terest at the throne of grace for the most unwor- 
thy ; and as enabled, shall remember you most 
jheartilv ! I commit vou to the all-sufficient grace 
of your own dear Lord Jesus ; to be carried 
honourably and joyfully through all your ap- 
pointed service, until you have finished your 
course ; and then to be blest with a rich, immor- 
tal crown of life and righteousness ; unto his 
eternal glory, and your everlasting felicity ! And 
with great affection, esteem, and gratitude for all 
favours, permit me to be, 

Reverend Sir, 
Your most obedient humble servant, 

Anne Button. 
P. S. Pardon me, dear sir, that I could not get 
time to write sooner. I embraced the very first 
leisure. It gives me pleasure to hear that the 
Countess of Huntingdon appears on the side of 
Christ, and is eminent for God. May her life be 
continued, and her usefulness great ! 

FROM THE REV, MR, HAYWARD TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Bristol, .3pril 22, 1757. 
Reverend and dear Sir, 
I received your kind and affectionate letter, 
and rejoice to find that God is so remarkably 
blessing your labours. How comfortable ! How 



ME3I0IRS OF DARRACOTT. 207 

animating ! to see sinners melted, prodigals re- 
turning, blasphemers tearing. Oh ! happy sight! 
Blessed be God, your eyes see it, and your soul 
cannot but exult in the Lord. I need not say 
how pleasant it is to study and preach, when 
God thus sets to his seal. You are favoured 
beyond many, my dear friend. God is owning 
you, whilst many are crying out, Lord, who 
hath believed our report ? May the Lord con- 
tinue your zeal, continue your life, and continue 
your success, and make you a burning and a 
shining light. Your letter found me at Bristol, 
where I have been now, these five weeks, and yet 
but little alteration. 1 hope, upon the whole, 
I am better, I have had a strong hectic, and a 
bad cough. I shall have been laid aside from 
my work, three quarters of a year : a long time 
to be silent ! a long affliction, but little improve- 
ment. Gladly would I again labour in my Lord's 
vineyard, and be an instrument of good to souls. 
The ministr/ never appeared to me in so amiable 
a light. 

Oh, my brother, how highly God is honouring 
you, to continue your capacity for service, 
and make you useful. I am ready to say. Oh, 
that it was thus with me ! What God will do 
with me, he only knows. I desire to be wait- 
ing for his will. All that he has laid upon 
me, I have deserved, and infinitely more. It 
is rich mercy that I am out of hell. I doubt 
not your remembrance of me at a throne of 
grace. Pray recommend me to your people, an 



208 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

a proper object of their prayers. I am a living 
object of the poiver and excellency of prayer. 
And God can as easily perfect the mercy as he 
began it. However, I would desire to say, 
Father, thy will be done. Lady Huntingdon 
was extremely kind. I find her to be a humble, 
sweet Christian, and ready to support the cause 
of Christ in any place. I hope you and your 
family enjoy health. The Lord confirm and 
continue it. I cannot enlarge. I am ordered 
not to write, but I must a little. I shall be glad 
to hear from you. My kind respects to yours, 
Mrs. Darracott, Kitty, and all your family, 

I am. 

Dear Sir, 
Your most aflectionate friend and brother, 

Samuel Hayward. 

FROM LADV HUNTINGDON TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

Reverend and Dear Sir, • 

The afl^airs of my family called me home, but 
I am again brought back in safety, and much 
happiness of heart ; and that to a sweet little 
family, who live but to devote every hour more 
and more to the love and knowledge of the Lord 
Jesus. We had agreed upon this retreat, and 
taken a larger house among us for this purpose, 
and we all wish your prayers. To become the 
Lord's in body, soul and spirit, is the one cry 
and desire of our hearts ; and we know he will 
not reject us, nor cast us out ; and though we 



MfeMOlRS OF DARRACOTT. 209 

can do nothing, yet we can receive of his fulness 
grace for grace ; and in this woi Id suffer reproach 
and persecution for his name's sake, which is 
sw^eet and honourable to us ; when, though we 
can do nothing, we glory in this, that, to his 
praise, he hath redeemed, and will make us 
priests unto God. We should rejoice to see you 
among us ; and I hope nothing will prevent it, if 
convenient to you. jVll gospel ministers, it is 
our highest honour and happiness to serve, and 
no denomination do we ever reject. If their 
bowels are straitened, ours are not. All glory 
to his free spirit that is never bound. Such a 
general stir 1 have never known. 

FROM THE REV. DR. HAWEIS TO MR. DARRACOTT. 

January 28, 1755. 
Reverend and very dear sir. 
Since it hath pleased the great God, and him 
who hath the keys of death, and in whose hands 
the issues of it are, to restore you again to our 
importunate supplications, we shall, with delight, 
consent to your request in aiding your praises, 
and gratefully join with you in thanksgiving to 
the God that hearcth prayer. Next to my joy 
for your returning health, 1 must add that of the 
sweet experience of God's Aivour and accept- 
ance which, in your distress, he was pleased to 
manifest to you. I trust the bonds it leaves on 
you, sir, will appear, and that, like the great 
apostle Peter, many years after, you will have a 
18* 



210 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT* 

delightful remembrance of this manifestation of 
the Lord to you : such things comfort the living 
in expectation of them, and almost make us say, 
" it is good for us to be here too." 

Your reviving, cheering, and spurring exhor- 
tation, accompanied with your prayers, shall 
not, I trust, through the assistance of the Spirit 
of God, fail to have its intended use, it is what, 
amidst all the blessed means I enjoy, and kind- 
ness of the Lord I experience, I abundantly 
need. For, sir, I have a sad heart, loath to 
leave the present glitter, to dig for hidden gold ; 
and frequently leaning, with perverse attach- 
ment, to earth and its transitory trifles, which, 
with all the vanity I discover in them, too often 
would impose on my affections, and, like objects 
seen through a wrong medium, appear what 
they are not. 

You describe a glorious hope, and my heart 
cannot but bound on the expectation. Yes, sir, 
I trust these eyes shall see the salvation of the 
Lord, with all the imperfection and unprofitable- 
ness I find in myself. I dare not, would not, for 
a thousand worlds, cast away the hope of my 
confidence, nor, having so often tasted that the 
Lord is gracious, ungratefully distrust his kind- 
ness, or suspect his love ; whilst, with fear and 
trembling, I fain would work out my salvation, 
casting myself entirely on him that worketh in 
me to will and to do. I hope, I desire to wait 
for the blessedness of the man that trusteth in 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 211 

the Lord, and am persuaded that he hath not 
forgotten to be gracious. 

It just now strikes my mind, that it is very 
probable I shall never see you, sir, this side 
heaven ; and what think you my heart says ? 
Why, suppose we do not, we shall spend eternity 
together ; and Mr. Darracott will own his 
quondam friend, among the meanest of that 
happy throng, though himself shines in a more 
distinguished station. I lately visited my sisters, 
and found them vastly pleased with the entertain- 
ment you gave them. The good work manifestly 
grows. But I have exhausted my stock of 
time, when I have assured my dear Mr. Darracott 
how affectionately and humbly I am his friend 
and servant, 

T. Hawcis. 

Miss MARY TRKGENNA TO 31R. DARRACOTT. 

Reverend and worthy sir, 
111 health has prevented me from complying 
sooner with your request. The Almighty is now 
pleased to grant me a relaxation from my pain ; 
and for this, his great goodness to me, surely I 
ought to dedicate those hours of case cntiiely to 
his service. The present, I think, I cannot better 
improve, than in setting forth the praise of the 
Lord, by telling you what great things he hath 
done for my soul. Oh, that my whole life had 
been spent in conformity to his will! What 
comfort would the reflection give me, if the love 



212 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

of Jesus had had an earlier possession of my 
heart ! But I rejected his kind invitations, and 
cast his words behind me, that I might, without 
any restraint, follow the dictates of my own per- 
verse will, which led me into a life of sin and 
vanity, that erased every impression the good 
spirit made on my heart. 

With sorrow and confusion, I confess to you, 
that thus I lived, without God in the world, 
until I arrived at twenty years of age. About 
that time, I had a brother going to the university; 
my papa went with him (to take care he was well 
settled) and as he had but indifferent health, took 
me with him. This greatly pleased my corrupted 
heart ; hoping that I should find abroad some new 
enjoyment, that would give me more delight than 
any 1 had hitherto met with could afford. But 
how greatly was I mistaken ! Nothing but disap- 
pointments attended me, every pleasure I partook 
of left an uneasiness on my mind, and I returned 
home more dissatisfied than ever. Then, I began 
to reflect on the vanity of earthly enjoyments, and 
plainly saw, that nothing here below was capable 
of giving true satisfaction to the mind of a rea- 
sonable being. 

I continued in this thoughtful way, till the 
week came on that is observed among us more 
strictly, in order to take off the attention from 
earthly things ; to prepare the heart to commemo- 
rate the death of our Blessed Redeemer ; and, 
as my parents were always careful for me to at- 



MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 213 

tend on all the means of grace, I was never suffer- 
ed to omit being at the sacrament. Blessed Je- 
sus, how often have I approached thy holy table, 
with an unsanctified heart ! My mamma often 
watched me, to see if I neglected my private de- 
votions, and many a reproof has she given me on 
this occasion ; for whenever I thought I was not 
observed by her, I wholly neglected my retire- 
ments, and when I entered my closet, good Lord, 
what did it avail me, to say over a few formal 
words, with my thoughts, at the same time, taken 
up with the vanities of the world ! 

But now, I began to consider more seri- 
ously my way of life, and how did every period 
of it reproach me ! When I reflected how I 
had, from day to day, been mocking my kind 
Creator and Preserver, how great was my con- 
fusion ! Surely, said I, I have been most wretch- 
edly deceived in pursuing those transitory de- 
lights, I have neglected my greatest interest, 
and despised the Lord that bought me. My heart 
was immediately impressed with great sorrow, 
and I humbly fell down before the throne of 
grace, to implore for pardon. I continued for 
some time very much dejected, and spent all 
my leisure time in reading and prayer ; my me- 
lancholy countenance was visible to every one, 
but none could guess what was the true cause of 
it, for I had not boldness enough to speak of it, 
and no one suspected it ; as I always kept up a 
decency of behaviour, and past, in the eyes of 



214 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

my acquaintance, for what the world calls a good 
christian. 

It was soon reported abroad, that love was the 
occasion of my melancholy ; and stories were told 
of me to my parents, that made them very unea- 
sy. But at last, the Lord gave me courage to 
confess the cause of my sorrows ; and my tongue 
was loo:>ed to give him the praise, and to ac- 
knowledge myself a most miserable, sinful crea- 
ture. I was soon beset, on all sides, with my 
old companions in folly, who would persuade 
me that there was no occasion for so much 
strictness, and, that I should bring myself into 
despair ; however, the Lord enabled me to with- 
stand all their temptations, and their persecutions 
were a spur to me, in the performance of my 
duty : at length, they left me pretty quiet. 

But, how dangerous is a life of much ease, to 
them who are endeavouring to take up the cross 
after their blessed Master ! I soon found that it 
was sometimes good to be afflicted ; for slothful- 
ness took hold of me, and my zeal began to abate, 
but it pleased the Lord to send me a heavy 
affliction, by taking from me my eldest sister. 
In about a year after, I lost my brother, and 
another sister, and since that, my father. Surely, 
if, after these great afflictions, I should still set 
my affection on this world, and revolt from God, 
great must be my condemnation. These trouble* 
have also been the means of inducing three more 
of my sisters (that are grown up to years of matu- 
rity) to engage more vigorously in the service of 



MEMOIRS OF DAHRACOTT. 213 

their Redeemer. I have, also, four younger, that 
I hope the Almighty will enable us to train up in 
his fear and love. 

One of them I cannot forbear speaking of, in a 
particular manner. She is about twelve years 
old, but few of twenty are so provident of their 
time ; the hours allowed for her play, she 
generally spends in reading or writing ; ihe latter, 
she applied to of herself, unknown to us, and can 
now write a very pretty hand, without being ever 
taught. Her temper is quite even and cheerlul ; 
nothing delights her more than to hear of the 
love of Jesus to us, and to be told of the joys of 
heaven ; she will leave any company, or amuse- 
ment, to hear a religious conversation : to see the 
joy that sparkles in her countenance, on those 
occasions, would delight you ; her readiness to 
obey any commands laid upon her, is remarkable ; 
and the meekness with which she bears ill-treat- 
ment from any of her companions, has often made 
me blush. I have found a secret as safe with her, 
as in my own breast 

Oil, sir, what great mercies has the Lord con- 
ferred on me and mine ! How can I choose but 
say, "Lord who am I, that thou art thus mindful 
of me, or any of my father's ! Oh, that I could 
praise the Lord as I ought, for this his great 
goodness to us ! Oh, that I might be telling of his 
salvation from day to day." My sister enjoys the 
thoughts of seeing you and good Mrs. Darracott. 
She joins in thanks to you, for your kind, in- 



f 16 MEMOIRS OF DARRACOTT. 

atructing letter, and also, in sincerest compli- 
ments, to you and your good lady, with, 
Worthy sir, 
Your obliged, humble servant, 

And most sincere friend, 

Mary Tregenna. 
Bath, Dec. 17, 1754. 



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